Draft Plan Would Block California Vehicle GHG Rules, Freeze Limits At MY20

摘要

A draft ot a long-expected proposed rule to scale back light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards would massively roll back the program and precipitate a landmark legal and political battle with California and its allies, in part because it would seek to block the Golden State's power to impose stronger requirements than the federal government.The plan, described to Inside EPA by a source who has seen the document, outlines a "preferred" regulatory approach that would scrap prior talk of confining major changes to the program to model years 2022-2025 by calling for freezing the program at MY20 stringency levels through MY26.It would also push back against efforts by California and other states to retain the current program, relying on a legal claim that the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) - which authorizes the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) fuel economy rules - preempts states from implementing fuel economy rules that are essentially equivalent to carbon dioxide limits.