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 This rule isn’t practical and should be repealed or at least postponed.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!