PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 28, 2023
A Maine environmental official clarified on Thursday the state’s stance on a contentious proposal to expand electric vehicle use, saying that a regulatory board still will vote on the plan even as it asks the Legislature to consider revising state law so lawmakers can craft mandates in the future. The Board of Environmental Protection, a seven-member citizen board appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Legislature, “intends to vote” on proposed standards that would eventually require 82% of new vehicles sold to be considered zero emissions by the 2032 model year. A vote will be scheduled after a public comment period ends Feb. 5.