Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills is pursuing a sweeping climate agenda, pushing both vehicle electrification and green energy development. (Getty Images)
According to BEP filings, earlier this year, the state received a total of 1,783 public comment letters with just 287 supporting the Advanced Clean Cars rule. A whopping 1,496 letters were filed in opposition to the mandate.
Among the stakeholders who filed opposition letters were the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, Maine Automobile Dealers Association and Democratic Maine Rep. Jared Golden, who represents a largely rural congressional district.
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"Affordable transportation is a requirement, not a luxury, in rural Maine," Golden said in a social media post on X, formerly Twitter, following the vote. "Regulations must recognize reality: California-style emissions standards would impose logistic and financial hurdles that Maine isn’t ready to clear. The state BEP made the right decision to reject them."
Several states have followed suit after California introduced its sweeping EV mandate in 2022. After the mandate was unveiled, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state would continue to "lead the revolution towards our zero-emission transportation future." (California Gov. Gavin Newsom YouTube channel)
According to the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a group that represents major automakers, 5.8% of total car purchases in Maine last year were electric or plug-in hybrid. That figure is less than the national average of 9.3%.
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Meanwhile, more than a dozen states have successfully adopted California's EV mandate regulations unveiled in August 2022. Under California's plan, 100% of all car purchases must be electric by 2035.
Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills, who has pursued an aggressive climate agenda since taking office, did not respond to a request for comment at press time.
Thomas Catenacci is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
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