California Abandons Regulations Phasing Out Diesel Trucks
Travis Gillmore

Critics of the strict air regulation plan are applauding regulators’ decision to withdraw a waiver request from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

California’s Air Resources Board sent a letter on Jan. 14 to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, withdrawing its prior waiver request that would have forced a transition from diesel to zero-emission trucks in the state.

The federal environmental agency responded to the board’s withdrawal request on Jan. 14 with notice that no further action will be taken, and the matter is considered closed.

Regulators had previously requested in November 2023 that the agency approve a waiver to allow the state to enforce stricter rules for automobiles and diesel trucks.

Federal authorities agreed to some of the requests, but such related to the diesel truck rules were not yet decided.

“California has withdrawn its pending waiver and authorization requests that U.S. EPA has not yet acted on,” Liane Randolph, chair of the air resources board, said in a statement emailed to The Epoch Times. 

“While we are disappointed that U.S. EPA was unable to act on all the requests in time, the withdrawal is an important step given the uncertainty presented by the incoming administration that previously attacked California’s programs to protect public health and the climate and has said will continue to oppose those programs.”

She suggested that President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration could challenge the clean air regulations implemented by President Joe Biden.

With federal government approval of more stringent regulations uncertain, the board could pursue other methods of achieving clean air goals by partnering with private industry, as was done in the first Trump administration.

“The California Air Resources Board is assessing its option to continue its progress as part of its commitment to move forward the important work of improving the state’s air quality and reducing harmful pollutants that contribute to poor health outcomes and worsen climate change,” Randolph said.

“The waivers and authorizations recently approved, along with other existing programs, will advance essential emissions reductions in key sectors as we assess next steps.”

Some industry representatives applauded the decision and said the regulations were practically impossible and too costly to comply with.

“The California Trucking Association has consistently stated the Advanced Clean Fleets Rule was unachievable,” Eric Sauer, CEO of the California Trucking Association, told The Epoch Times by email.

 “We look forward to engaging all stakeholders, including CARB and EPA, to continue the trucking industry’s efforts to further reduce emissions in a technologically feasible and cost-effective manner that preserves our state and the nation’s critical supply chain.”

One state lawmaker said the decision to rescind the waiver request would benefit the state’s economy and noted the decision could be one of the other policy shifts seen soon as state agencies respond to a change of power at the federal level.

“I think it’s great news. This is good for everyone,” Republican Leader Assemblyman James Gallagher told The Epoch Times on Jan. 15.

“They’re waving the white flag because they couldn’t get the waiver approved before the Trump administration came in.”

Highlighting the integral role trucks play in delivering many of the goods Californians rely on, he expressed concern that if only electric vehicles were allowed, costs would inevitably increase.

The assemblyman suggested the new decision would help mitigate concerns trucking companies had about navigating mandates that some said were “literally impossible” to comply with.

“From the very beginning, I’ve denounced this policy,” Gallagher said.

“It makes no sense to force everybody to go electric when we don’t have the infrastructure to support it.”

The existing charging network statewide is inadequate for current demand levels if fleets were switched to electric, according to industry experts.

Acquiring heavy-duty electric trucks for sale presents its own challenges, as the prices are much higher, and maintenance and operational costs are yet to be well understood.

“Nobody has real numbers when we ask for details about maintenance and replacement costs,” Nelson Sibrian, owner of Sibrian Trucking based in Wilmington, California, told The Epoch Times.

“With diesel, we know our cost per day to maintain the vehicle.”

Maintenance costs make up most of a trucking company’s operating expenses, he said, and uncertainty about expenditures is problematic.

How far electric semi-trucks can travel before they need another charge is another area of concern. Traditional diesel 18-wheelers can drive more than 1,000 miles before they need to refuel, while industry estimates show similar-sized electric vehicles topping out at about 300 miles before they need charging.

“We need to know all of these things in order to plan,” Sibrian said. “If we don’t know the actual range, it makes it impossible to schedule, and they can’t give me a straight answer on how long [the trucks] will take to charge.”

 

 

Travis Gillmore is an avid reader and journalism connoisseur based in California covering finance, politics, the State Capitol, and breaking news for The Epoch Times.

 

 

 

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