Twenty-seven U.S. senators signed a letter to EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan on Thursday, asking the agency to withdraw proposed emissions regulations.
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The two suggested rules, "Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles" and "Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles -- Phase 3," would mandate a transition to electric cars and trucks in the absence of Congressional direction, the letter states.
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The senators allege this would violate the precedent set by the Supreme Court in West Virginia vs. Environmental Protection Agency in 2022. The court then ruled that the EPA cannot force wholesale change to "substantially restructure the American energy market" without explicit Congressional authorization.
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"The heavy-duty vehicle rule will require 40% of sales of zero-emission vehicles by 2032, up from a mere 0.1% globally for heavy-duty trucks and 4% globally for bus fleets," the letter says. "If finalized, these proposals will effectively require a wholesale conversion from powering vehicles with widely available liquid fuel to charging BEVs off our nation's electric grid. This is a major, multi-billion dollar, policy-driven technology transition mandate to be imposed on American consumers by your agency, without any semblance of the clear and direct statutory authority required by the ruling in West Virginia vs. EPA."
