Dealers' #1 source for auto industry news, content, coaching & analysis

Republican attorneys general sue EPA over emission standards

The EPA's regulations aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7.2 billion tons by 2055.

On April 18, Republican attorneys general from 25 states filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They claimed the agency had overstepped its legal jurisdiction to hinder regulations aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks. 

Attorneys general from Kentucky and West Virginia led the lawsuit against the passenger car standards that President Joe Biden’s administration had resolved on March 20. Other states that joined the suit included: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming. Nonthless, the case was brought in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Additionally, the EPA’s regulations aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7.2 billion tons by 2055 and the fleet’s total exhaust emissions of vehicles and light trucks by over 50% of the 2026 levels by 2032. However, Kentucky’s Attorney General Russell Coleman said the regulations would undermine the American electrical grid, hurt the country’s economy, endanger jobs, and drive up costs. He added that his state had very little consumer interest in EVs.

Moreover, Republican state officials described the regulations as an administration attempt to unfairly alter the U.S. passenger car industry. They said the burdensome regulations made it harder for automakers to stick with the EV strategy. 

Attorney General Patrick Morrisey of West Virginia criticized the regulations, stating that they exceeded the authority of the Clean Air Act and aimed to restructure the auto industry. He argued that the regulations were legally flawed and unrealistic.

Following pushback from auto workers and the industry, the final version of these rules was less stringent than initially proposed. The new regulations provided automakers with greater flexibility, including the continued use of gas-electric hybrids. Some environmentalists saw this concession as a compromise that might slow the transition to fully electric vehicles. 

Stay up to date on exclusive content from CBT News by following us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Don’t miss out! Subscribe to our free newsletter to receive all the latest news, insight and trends impacting the automotive industry.

CBT News is part of the JBF Business Media family.

Jaelyn Campbell
Jaelyn Campbell
Jaelyn Campbell is a staff writer/reporter for CBT News. She is a recent honors cum laude graduate with a BFA in Mass Media from Valdosta State University. Jaelyn is an enthusiastic creator with more than four years of experience in corporate communications, editing, broadcasting, and writing. Her articles in The Spectator, her hometown newspaper, changed how people perceive virtual reality. She connects her readers to the facts while providing them a voice to understand the challenges of being an entrepreneur in the digital world.

Related Articles

Manufacturers In This Article

More Manufacturer News

Latest Articles

From our Publishing Partners