Governors join Calif. push for higher standards

Nearly two dozen governors, including several Republicans, are imploring the Trump administration to embrace more aggressive gas mileage requirements for the nation’s cars and pickups, saying the White House’s effort to weaken existing requirements could hurt consumers, automakers and the environment.

In a joint statement Tuesday, governors from 22 states and Puerto Rico joined California in calling for a “commonsense” national approach that would provide regulatory certainty to the auto industry while helping to fight climate change. “Strong vehicle standards protect our communities from unnecessary air pollution and fuel costs, and they address the largest source of carbon pollution in the United States,” they wrote.

Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board, said Tuesday’s statement underscores that a growing number of states are willing to back California in its push to cut carbon emissions and other pollution from the nation’s tailpipes. Thirteen states and the District of Columbia have said they are poised to adopt California’s standards if they diverge from the federal government’s.

“We’ve doubled our support,” Nichols said in an interview. “We’re seeing an awakening of interest on the part of other states that recognize the need for cleaner cars. This is not just about climate change, although that is certainly the major thrust of the regulations we’re fighting to maintain.”

The group said it represents 52 percent of the U.S. population and 57 percent of the economy. It includes primarily Democratic governors, but also at least three Republican governors — from Maryland, Massachusetts and Vermont. Gretchen Whitmer, the Democratic governor of Michigan — the epicenter of the U.S. auto industry — did not sign Tuesday’s statement. But a spokeswoman said she remains “committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the goals of the Paris agreement.”

Their letter comes as the Trump administration is expected this summer to freeze federal fuel-efficiency requirements for six years and end California’s long-standing authority to set its own standards.