Clean cars in Maryland? Governor, attorney general drag their feet as Trump harms our state

It’s no secret that President Donald Trump and his allies in Congress are trying to decimate climate programs and environmental protections. We see evidence of this every day, in executive orders, public pronouncements, policy initiatives and funding decisions.

But in Maryland, we take comfort knowing that many state and local elected officials see themselves as a bulwark against the worst of Trump’s positions and impulses. Whether they’re filing lawsuits to reverse Trump edicts, enacting legislation that serves as a counterbalance to regressive federal policies, promoting the use of clean energy or outlining bold goals to confront climate change, Maryland leaders are often at the forefront of environmental advocacy.

So why now are Gov. Wes Moore (D) and Attorney General Anthony Brown (D) dragging their feet when it comes to advancing and protecting aggressive vehicle emissions standards and mandates regarding the sales of clean cars and trucks?

On June 12, Trump signed three measures striking down waivers that allowed Maryland and several other states to impose stricter emissions standards on cars and trucks than federal laws allow. The rules have also allowed Maryland and the other states to set a timeline for phasing out the sale of new gas-powered cars and trucks.

Within hours after the president signed these measures, setting into motion Congress’ use of the Congressional Review Act to revoke the three waivers, 11 of the 12 states that were impacted by his action, led by California, filed a federal lawsuit to preserve their right to use more stringent vehicle emissions laws.

The only hold-out? Maryland. That’s a disappointing and dangerous development that, given the state’s history and rhetoric about the imperative of climate action, requires an explanation. So far, we have yet to hear any.

California has long been the acknowledged leader on state-based climate policy. And for more than two decades, the Golden State’s vehicle emissions regulations have been stronger than federal rules. Starting with New Jersey in 2004, 11 other states and the District of Columbia have elected to follow California’s emissions standards; Maryland signed up in 2007, requiring cars beginning with the 2011 model year to have stronger emissions standards than vehicles sold in most other states.

Former Gov. Larry Hogan (R) briefly paused the state’s participation in the multistate alliance, but as soon as Moore took office, he renewed Maryland’s commitment to California’s more stringent standards for autos, signing up for a new initiative known as Advanced Clean Cars II, and also ensured that Maryland would follow that state’s lead on strict emissions standards for trucks. Among other things, the rules mandate phasing out the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035, with the phase-out beginning with model year 2027.

The logic behind stricter emissions standards and more aggressive goals for electric vehicle sales is irrefutable. Vehicle emissions are a primary cause of air pollution in the state, and reducing them has myriad public health benefits.

By the state’s own estimates, between 2027 and 2040, Maryland’s participation in Advanced Clean Cars II would dramatically scale back emissions of nitrogen oxides, a precursor to ground-level ozone; particulate matter, which creates significant respiratory problems; and carbon dioxide, a major driver of climate change. By 2040, the state projects that these reductions will create a public health benefit of $603.5 million a year due to decreases in respiratory and cardiovascular illness and associated lost work days.

So Maryland’s retreat from these tougher standards is puzzling and distressing – and sadly, it did not begin with the state’s decision not to sign on when other states sued the Trump administration earlier this month. During the most recent General Assembly session, the legislature came close to passing a bill that would have paused penalties for two years on auto dealers who did not meet the state’s aggressive standards for selling electric and hybrid vehicles. Ultimately, the governor issued an executive order with the same result.

Maryland officials have said they’re as committed as ever to clean car standards. But when meeting the goals becomes voluntary, without strict state enforcement and penalties, those statements ring hollow. The governor’s executive order, coupled with the state’s decision not to join other Advanced Clean Cars states in the new lawsuit against the federal government, must, for now, be seen as a retreat in Maryland’s commitment to fight climate change and air pollution.