PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 22, 2024
State lawmakers are taking the wheel in Maine’s debate over phasing in electric vehicle sales. The Legislature’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee on Thursday unanimously approved legislation declaring EV rules to be the jurisdiction of lawmakers and not the Board of Environmental Protection, an appointed citizen board that rejected a mandate to boost electric and hybrid car sales the previous day. The measure now heads to the House and Senate. An absence of controversy would contrast with thousands of public comments submitted to the board from environmentalists who say Maine must act immediately to curb tailpipe emissions – a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions – and opponents who accused state officials of seeking to impose mandates limiting vehicle choice.