Washington, D.C. –
September 9, 2026 – Congress has
another chance to stop California from imposing
costly, anti-consumer electrification rules on
the rest of the country. Last year, Congress
used the Congressional Review Act to reject
California’s ban on new gas-powered cars and
trucks. The state is still pushing the same
agenda through other regulatory pathways
targeting vehicles, ships, ports, lawn mowers,
and other small engines.
California’s
overreach threatens consumer choice,
affordability, and energy reliability
nationwide. The only reason the state can do
this is because previous EPAs issued unlawful
waivers that let California enforce its own
rules. Other states have used those same waivers
to copy California’s standards.
The EPA
recently transmitted six California waivers to
Congress for review under the Congressional
Review Act which include: Advanced Clean Cars I
(ACC I), Biden Administration reinstatement of
ACC I, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Standards,
Small Off-Road Engine (SORE), Ocean-Going
Vessels at Berth (CARB at Berth) and Commercial
Harbor Craft (CHC). Your lawmakers now have a
limited window to stop these mandates before
they raise costs for American consumers and
businesses. Last week, a coalition of trade
groups including EMA and its 48 state and
regional trade associations sent a letter to the
Hill urging passage of the CRAs.
Why This
Matters to Energy Marketers
- California is
relying on older EPA waivers to force
electrification mandates that shrink the
liquid-fuels market.
- Rules covering passenger
cars and trucks, lawn and garden equipment,
ships, and ports would limit consumer choice,
increase costs across the country, and undermine
U.S. energy security.
- Once these waivers
stand, other states can adopt the same rules,
turning one state’s experiment into a de facto
national policy.
Congress can use CRA
resolutions of disapproval to eliminate all six
waivers and permanently block these unlawful
California regulations.
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