The Biden Administration is on the verge of releasing final emissions standards for cars, trucks, and buses across the nation. Clean cars and trucks benefit us all – and these clean air standards will ensure manufacturers are producing them.
The standards can achieve massive climate, public health, and economic benefits by 2055:
- The strongest versions of these rules can help the U.S. avoid 9.9 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions. For comparison, that’s equivalent to emissions from 88 coal plants operating over 30 years!
- The rules will also help clean up our air, which would help lead to fewer premature deaths and serious health effects such as hospital admissions due to respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses.
- Together, the proposals would reduce oil imports by approximately 20 billion barrels.
- Overall, the EPA estimates that the strongest versions of these rules could result in $1.25 to $2.12 trillion in economic benefits.
We’ve Already Invested So Much in Clean Transportation. Strong Standards Will Help Us Unlock More.
Strong standards will help the U.S. leverage the electric vehicle benefits that Congress ushered in with the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
The federal legislation devoted hundreds of billions of dollars to climate and clean energy initiatives, with a good chunk of that going towards clean transportation and specifically electric vehicles and EV charging. The IRA represents the largest investment in our climate and clean energy in US history – and it includes game-changing incentives for consumers looking to purchase new or used EVs! These federal incentives can be combined with state, local, and utility incentives, meaning that purchasing a new or used zero-emission vehicle has never been more affordable. That’s a big win for consumers and the climate.
But without strong standards in place, the U.S. risks ceding global economic leadership to other nations and regions such as China, Europe, and India, that are leading in their EV transition.
We’re Ready to Plug In.
Sierra Club has been at the forefront of advocating for EV-related utility policies that accelerate the EV transition and deliver on the promises of the clean energy economy: charging infrastructure powered by renewable energy, lower overall energy bills, more good jobs, and cleaner air and water.
Over the past decade, our engagement has secured approval from state utility regulators for over $5 billion in utility investments in EV charging and related programs, with one third of that dedicated to equitable investments in communities that are overburdened by pollution or otherwise disadvantaged. With utilities already investing billions of dollars to prepare for this electric shift, we’re ripe for this change!