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by Lt. Gov. John Rodgers
Vermont’s ambitious climate goals are about to become very real, and could hit many of us in the wallet. Unless the Legislature or Gov. Phil Scott acts soon, farmers, loggers and other buyers of medium and heavy-duty trucks will soon face limited consumer choice and potentially higher prices.
Why? Vermont is among a dozen or so states that have adopted California’s zero-emission and low-emission vehicle standards designed to have all vehicles emissions free by 2035.
That seems like a long way away. But the rules in Vermont start to go into effect with Model Year 2026, which will be delivered to Vermont within the next 90 days. That’s when manufacturers are required to sell electric trucks as an increasing percentage of their annual sales. For example, in 2026, the requirement is to sell 13% of zero-emission class 4-8 trucks in Vermont. These are vehicles that range from city delivery trucks to large moving vans and garbage trucks. The rules set a 10 percent EV mandate in 2026 for class 7-8 tractors – rigs that haul milk tankers and log trailers.
The story of how Vermont imposed an electric vehicle mandate dates back to 2020, when the Legislature passed the ambitiously named Global Warming Solutions Act. The law created a Climate Council, which in turn drafted a Climate Action Plan. Embedded in that plan was a recommendation that Vermont adopt California’s clean vehicle standards. The Agency of Natural Resources dutifully followed through; the recommendation is now a legally binding rule.
But it’s now time for a second look. This rule isn’t practical and should be repealed or at least postponed. First, manufacturers aren’t making enough vehicles to meet the mandate. (They are allowed to buy credits from Tesla to meet the mandate. But that would just make Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, even richer.) Second, the charging network doesn’t yet exist to power those hoped-for electric trucks. Third, the zero emission trucks are substantially more expensive than conventional diesels. That’s a cost our businesses can’t afford, especially now. And fourth —and perhaps most importantly – electric trucks don’t yet have the range or power our businesses need.
Think of the milk hauler who wants to drive from St. Albans to a milk processing plant in Springfield, Mass., or a logger who wants to haul a load to Maine for milling. Those drivers would not be able to plug in on the way because the charging stations simply aren’t there.
This electric truck mandate was adopted in Vermont with little notice and with apparently little thought to its cost or practicality. I ran on a platform of affordability and common-sense government. This rule is neither. Let’s scrap it before we hit Vermont businesses with another mandate that they cannot afford.
I’m all for reducing our climate footprint. My farm and forests sequester carbon. But it’s time to hit the brakes on this ambitious, but fundamentally flawed, policy. Massachusetts, Delaware, and Maryland have all postponed or withdrawn their version of the California vehicle rule. Vermont should follow suit. Immediately!
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Categories: Commentary, Legislation, Transportation
At last somebody with common sense. Also where will the power required come from even if charging stations are made available?
Come On Ed!
John Rodgers and Common Sense don’t belong in the same sentence.
Please look at his voting record. It reveals the Democrat/Progressive he really is. He is a self-serving, opportunist poser.
I especially love the way he refers to his “farm” as if growing and harvesting Marijuana is an honorable and beneficial business like growing food or providing milk.
thank you VTbeliever, he’s throwing some chum in the water……
vtbeliever is correct.
Rodgers is playing rope-a-dope.
Rodgers trashes Trump and the MAGA movement mercilessly-as he did a few weeks ago at a large rally at the State House-in order to secure the sentiments of Vermont’s left base.
Then Rodgers plays soft ball by advocating for something that is seemingly a ‘conservative’ position but in reality is so obviously unworkable that even the left base can’t really argue against.
Rodgers is a poseur. A snake. Not to be trusted.
Isn’t this Golden Dome thinking?
“This electric truck mandate was adopted in Vermont with little notice and with apparently little thought to its cost or practicality”
This attitude goes on and on for years, and has nothing to make VT prosper as it once did.
The word INSANITY keeps this dog and pony show alive. Rogers, your a day late and a dollar short. How much money has been spent on this total failure?????
Just for reference and information purposes – a link to Mr. Rodgers voting record.
https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/110226/john-rodgers
Proverbs 21-20 “There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up”
By all means Mr. Rodgers, keep the op-eds coming in an anxiety-filled fury. God’s ways are not our ways and He absolutely is dropping your pants at the podium and the desktop for all to see and discern. Flippty-flop-flop like a fish out of water gasping and grasping for it’s waning dignity.
These EV vehicles don’t have enough energy to run a school bus much less a 100,000 pound truck, as usual the lunatics in Montpelier will never admit they are wrong.
Well John, thankfully President Trump is in office and is working on abolishing this non-sense.
Too bad you swore allegiance to Build Back Better, with our colonialist governor. All hail the New World Order……..
I’m all about reducing our carbon foot print….which is code for….I”m pimping for United Nations Agenda 2030.
As long as our A.G. chooses to attach Vermont like a lamprey looking for an easy meal, to every hair brained idea that the state of Califailure dreams up, we will be subject to these wacko policies too . We need to get an A.G. that is down to earth, not another head in the cloud, wacky lefty like Charity Clark . The same can be said about the wackos under the Golden Dumb, except that they seem fully capable of brewing up their own “intellectually limited” policies .
Their agenda is so ingrained, they cannot or refuse to see reality. They can’t let go because they refuse to admit they are way off base. They do not have any reality based principles. They will go off the cliff in Telma and Louise style.
PS: Interesting choice of image… that company is now dead. Bankrupt. Never mind the fact most if not all auto companies are cutting back electric vehicle production.
No John, we must provide lavish lifestyles for illegal aliens. Never mind the needs of citizens. This type of corrupt thinking is how we Vermonters got here. Who is it that said legislators were above average in intelligence? No living Vermonter.
All I can say is only an idiot would have thought this would work!! That’s what Demorats are is stupider than an idiot!! Speaking of thought, how could they even think all this change would even take place. Really thought this through didn’t they!!
This is what happens to a state when voters elect carpetbaggers to their legislature. 2/3 of our overlords are not from Vermont. They have no connection to the state but are heavily connected to NGOs outside the state who are connected to lobbyists who fund their campaigns and invite them to nice dinners. Anyone with a functioning brain should realize this carbon crap is a well connected scam to people down the line who will benefit financially. Someone please explain to me how a state the size of a postage stamp on the earths surface can do anything to reduce carbon. The earth rotates, remember. People who vote for these ideologues should be ashamed of themselves but liberal thinkers are beyond shame, they are always right. If you don’t believe that, just ask one. I don’t like to say it but some people are so brainwashed they can’t think past the reality of just how unfeasible this all is.
Stupid is as Stupid does, Vermonts progressive mind-set is just following there hero state Califorina and destroying from within policies
So if this mandate gooes through, let just talk infastructure concerns, Vermont roads can hardly handle the current weight of vehicles, now add the weight of batteries per EV vehicle be it Trucks or your Tesla, and what about charging stations and where is the plan and funding in Vermont coming from……..
Oh yeah,your going to work to fund this boondoggle, stop the nonsense, turf out any elected official that support this nonsense.
Hey Vermonters, how do you like the condition of your current roads, you think they’re bad now just wait !!
The entire climate agenda is flawed and based on a created problem, that is not a problem, carbon. Carbon is necessary for the planet and the higher the atmospheric carbon the better the plants, the better the plants, the better the animals. To hold fast to the dogma of carbon is bad is to ignore the volumes of evidence which refutes this. Also if one is so concerned about the environment one would not want an all electric vehicle which requires many more highly toxic inputs than a conventional vehicle. The mining and processing of the metals and minerals necessary for many of the components creates a far worse pollution problem. How about we start manufacturing quality vehicles that can last decades and let’s just add to that reparability. While we are at it how about home appliances that last for decades too. I know some folks still using their 1930s refrigerator. Still works beautifully.
Where do they say where the electricity is going to come from and how much will rates be? No way can the grid service all elect homes, cars, trucks. Multiply by states in the region passing laws as well. This is why we have congress , feds, to figure out the big picture for regional, national. But Trump wants the states to figure it out and then there are vastly different outcomes that affect utilities.
Geesh. Every state is having this issue.