BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 20, 2024
The Maine Board of Environmental Protection voted Wednesday to defeat a rule requiring electric vehicles to make up an increasing percentage of new car sales over the coming years, instead expressing a desire for lawmakers to decide the issue. The “Advanced Clean Cars II” rule that the board defeated in a 4-2 vote would have required battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles to make up 51 percent of new car sales for 2028 models and 82 percent of new sales by model year 2032. Steven Pelletier, a wetland scientist and forester from Topsham, and Barbara Vickery were the lone members to support adopting the rule, which the Natural Resources Council of Maine and several allies proposed earlier in 2023.