Tuesday, October 04, 2022
Governor Kathy Hochul’s announcement last week that now that California–which has unique powers under the Clean Air Act— has “cleared the way,” New York will follow its lead and require that by 2035 all vehicles sold in The Empire State will be zero-emission, further accelerates the domestic transition to electric cars.
Taken together, these two states account for about 23% of the United States’ gross domestic product (GDP). If –as expected–the remaining 14 states, including Rhode Island and all its New England neighbors except New Hampshire, that have traditionally implemented California’s “motor vehicle standards” adopt the same timeline for the phasing out of the sales of cars powered by fossil fuels, the total market power will represent more that 40% of GDP, creating true economies of scale. These states would be continuing to exercise an option available under section 177 of the Clean Air Act to adhere to the vehicle requirements set by California rather than the less robust national requirements.
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The California initiative that New York is adopting set interim goals of 35% of new vehicles being either zero-emission or plug-in hybrids by 2026 and 68% by 2030. It was championed by Governor Newsom and approved unanimously at the end of August by the California Air Resources Board. “This is huge,” Margo Oge, an electric vehicles expert who headed the Environmental Protection Agency’s transportation emissions program under three presidents, told The New York Times. “As additional states put in place their own versions of these policies, “they will drive the market, and drive innovation.”
The sales of electrified– EVs, hybrids, and fuel-cell-powered– vehicles are steadily increasing and now account for 12.6% of new car sales in the United States, according to Cox Automotive. The actions of California and New York and the states that are likely to follow will greatly speed up their capture of market share, which will markedly enhance our nation’s chances of meeting its climate goal of reducing greenhouse gases to 50% below 2005 emissions by 2030.
The actions taken by California and New York work hand-in-hand with new laws championed by the Biden administration. The landmark climate initiative that was a main component of the recently adopted Inflation Reduction Act will provide $400 billion nationally to incentivize the transition to non-carbon producing renewable energy, including expanding tax credits available to purchasers of electric vehicles, The federal infrastructure legislation, which passed in 2021with broad bi-partisan support, includes significant funding for electric charging stations.
This synergistic state and federal action is leading to a recovery of our credibility internationally on the climate front and consequently restoring our capacity to lead in this area. Our credibility was badly dented by President Trump as a result of his ill-advised withdrawal from the Paris Global Climate Accords, of which our nation was the prime mover, and his “heat up the planet any way we can policies.”
Proactive and credible United States climate diplomacy that persuades other large carbon emitters to do their share is essential to keeping the rise in global temperature to the 1.5% Celsius or 2.7% Fahrenheit increase from pre-industrial levels that scientists tell us is essential to avoiding the worst consequences of global warming.
This is only possible when we set an example on the home front. As a result, California and New York’s commitment to accelerating the transition to electric cars will not only have an outsized positive impact domestically, these important steps forward will echo resoundingly worldwide.
Rob Horowitz is a strategic and communications consultant who provides general consulting, public relations, direct mail services and polling for national and state issue organizations, various non-profits, businesses, and elected officials and candidates. He is an Adjunct Professor of Political Science at the University of Rhode Island.
