Official announcements or policy documents from the EPA or Trump administration

Biden Grants California 2035 Gas Car Ban Authority, Faces Trump Reversal Threat

Dec 18, 2024, 03:00 PM

The Biden administration has granted California the authority to enforce regulations that will ban the sale of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035, a move that has received approval from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA Administrator Michael Regan emphasized the agency's commitment to reducing emissions and addressing climate change. This decision supports California's advanced clean-cars rule, which aims to compel the sale of zero-emission vehicles over the next decade. The action, however, faces potential reversal by President-elect Donald Trump, who has expressed intentions to revoke California's waivers and promote fossil fuel production. The EPA's decision also affects more than a dozen other states that follow California's vehicle emissions standards. Governor Gavin Newsom has been a proponent of this rule, highlighting California's leadership in climate policy. The move comes amidst legal challenges, including a Supreme Court appeal by fuel producers against a related 2022 EPA waiver, and support from environmental groups like Earthjustice's Right To Zero campaign. Trump previously rescinded California's waiver in 2019, which was later restored by the Biden administration in 2022, and his administration aims to repeal key parts of a 2022 climate law.