Rep. Brett Guthrie, a Republican from Kentucky and chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, has demanded that California’s top environmental agency provide answers over allegations of continuing to enforce electric vehicle (EV) mandates despite Congress reversing key federal regulations. The committee’s letter to California’s Air Resources Board (CARB) suggests that the state may be violating the Clean Air Act by enforcing preempted emission standards that were invalidated earlier this year by Congress through the Congressional Review Act.
Earlier this year, Congress used the Congressional Review Act to nullify Biden-era waivers granted by the EPA to California, which had allowed the state to implement stricter emission and EV standards than the federal government. These waivers were a key component of California’s efforts to promote clean energy and reduce emissions. Now, with those waivers revoked, the federal government has asserted its authority over vehicle emission standards, and the committee is concerned that California is continuing to enforce those standards despite the change in legal authority.
Several states, including Pennsylvania and Delaware, as well as the District of Columbia, have adopted California’s low-emissions standards through federal waivers. The committee’s letter indicates that these states may also be engaging in similar enforcement actions, potentially violating the Clean Air Act. Rep. Guthrie warned that the enforcement of an EV mandate would have