Editorial California must fight Trump on standards for fuel efficiency
In 1969, the year before the Clean Air Act was enacted, American cars on average got an abysmal 12.0 miles per gallon. They ran on leaded gas and spewed dirty exhaust into the air.
For the past 50 years, California has used its federal waiver under the Clean Air Act to set tougher fuel economy standards for the state, forcing automakers to innovate for the benefit of all.
The Trump administration is expected to announce later this week that it will seek to revoke California’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from cars.
This is no time to take a step backward in the battle for cleaner air, reduced reliance on fossil fuels and against climate change.
If Trump follows through as expected, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra should fight for the state’s right to combat air pollution.
And Californians should use the ensuing public comment period to let automakers know in no uncertain terms that they will not buy vehicles from manufacturers that roll back their standards. It’s not an idle threat. Californians buy about 2 million cars and light trucks every year.
Twelve other states follow California’s rules. All told, they account for about 35 percent of all U.S. auto sales. Sticking to California’s standards, regardless of the success of Trump’s action, is a win-win for automakers in that it will also keep them on the cutting edge of the global marketplace.
The emissions standards fight began in 1967 when thenGov. Ronald Reagan signed the bill creating the California Air Resources Board (CARB), designed to aggressively combat the state’s serious air pollution. In 1970, the federal government authorized the state to set stricter vehicle emission standards.
Fast forward to 2009, when the Obama administration gave the state permission to set its own greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and then negotiated a deal with California so that there would be only one nationwide standard to follow. The deal calls for a nationwide boost for new passenger cars and light trucks to an average fuel economy of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025 — which equates to about 40 mpg in real-world driving.
California went even further when Gov. Jerry Brown in January signed an executive order committing the state to a goal of 5 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2030.
It’s a big part of the commitment to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent from 1990 levels by 2030. Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gases in California, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the state’s total.
California now has about 350,000 electric vehicles on the road — a far cry from the governor’s 2030 target. It won’t happen unless California retains its ability to control vehicle standards.
Other nations are being even more aggressive than California. Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Netherlands, Norway and Taiwan have banned all sales of new, gasoline-powered cars after 2030, and France and the United Kingdom have enacted bans beginning in 2040.
The United States should be taking a leadership role in greenhouse gas emissions and promoting innovation in the auto industry.
Californians should be a driving force in the effort to keep the Trump administration from rolling back its fuel efficiency standards.