Greetings, Senate District 2!
I want to take this opportunity to wish you and your family, a Very Merry Christmas! I hope this Holiday Season provides a chance to spend some much-needed time with family and friends. With the 2021 Legislative Session getting underway just after the New Year, I wanted to share a quick update from St. Paul about the MPCA’s decision to adopt California’s vehicle emission standards.
MPCA Clean Car Emission Standards Announcement
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) announced Monday that they will move to adopt California-style clean car emissions standards in January, a change first proposed 15 months ago.
Turning Minnesota into a second California is a top priority for Governor Walz. The draft rules are modeled after California’s clean car standards. They would require carmakers to deliver a gradually increasing number of automobiles with zero tailpipe emissions each year. While the standards would not require consumers to buy them, it would require dealers to stock more ultra-low and zero-emission automobiles.
This rule will increase the costs of our automobiles, especially for farmers, blue-collar workers, and local businesses who require specific vehicles for their line of work. Dealership lots will inventory fewer pickup trucks and other vehicles that people want to buy.
The MPCA estimates that if this rule goes into effect for model year 2025 automobiles, between 6 and 7.5 percent of the vehicles sold would be zero-emission automobiles. Currently, electric vehicles make up fewer than .3 percent of all automobiles sold in greater Minnesota and 1 percent in the Twin Cities.
The MPCA is bypassing the Legislature and Citizen Input to move forward with a policy that will increase the cost of a car by as much as $2500.
The demand for Electric and Ultra-Low emission automobiles must be market-driven and not mandated by government. Our auto manufactures are currently working on an offering of Ultra-Low emission and Electric automobiles, let them inform and sell the public on purchasing a zero-emissions vehicle.
Sincerely,