NM Environmental Board Should Continue New Clean Car Standards
SANTA FE, N.M. – The New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board (EIB) should vote this week to reject a challenge to newly enacted clean car standards, which will bring more electric vehicles to the state and deliver substantial benefits directly to New Mexicans. These benefits include lower transportation costs, cleaner air, and less extreme weather, according to the environmental, social justice, and business groups that make up the NM Clean Air coalition.
The EIB is scheduled to hold a public hearing on March 22nd at the New Mexico State Capitol Building on a motion from auto dealers seeking a stay of the Advanced Clean Car II standards adopted last year. A stay would suspend the standards.
The EIB should reject the challenge and keep the clean car standards in place, Ona Porter from Prosperity Works said today, because they will generate millions of dollars in health and economic benefits by transitioning to clean transportation and energy generation. Transportation is the second highest climate-polluting sector in the state, behind oil and gas extraction, so bringing more zero-emission vehicles to the state can cut tailpipe pollution at the source.
The clean car standards were adopted on November 16, 2023, after a robust 4-day joint public hearing, multiple stakeholder meetings, and three public meetings. The EIB and the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board (AQCB) adopted Advanced Clean Cars II and Advanced Clean Truck standards. The truck standards are not at issue in the EIB proceeding.
During last fall’s public hearing, the boards heard overwhelming support for the standards, including more than 1,200 written public comments in support and nearly 80 verbal statements of support compared to less than 20 in opposition.
The clean car standards require that, starting in 2026, 43% of all new passenger cars and light-duty trucks shipped to New Mexico auto dealerships by national auto manufacturers must be zero-emission vehicles.
Federal investments in New Mexico are bringing more chargers to the state along interstates, rural and Tribal highways and providing tax incentives of up to $7,500 to make EVs more affordable at the point of sale. A new state EV tax credit makes buying new or used clean vehicles even easier and more affordable.
Backers of the clean car standards made these additional comments:
“The data is clear - like many across the U.S., New Mexicans want zero-emission vehicles,” said Aaron Kressig, transportation electrification manager at WRA. “Auto dealers already presented their concerns last year, and the EIB rightfully saw the health and economic benefits of adopting the Advanced Clean Cars II standard. There’s no compelling reason to change the EIB’s decision. Suspending the rules would only halt the state’s progress toward cleaner air and take choice away from consumers.”
“New Mexico ranks among the top 5 fastest-growing states for clean energy jobs, with nearly 12,700 workers or about 1 out of every 5 energy jobs in the state,” said Susan Nedell, Mountain West Advocate for Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2). “Job growth was driven by the clean vehicle jobs sector, which now employs about 1,000 workers and has seen a 32 percent increase in jobs over the last two years. Together with IRA investments, the Clean Cars standards are essential to invigorating New Mexico’s clean vehicle sector, so it can compete with the rest of the country for future automaker investments and projects and expand jobs in the state.”
“New Mexicans are looking for EVs and often buying them out of state because they can’t find them at local dealerships and in some cases are aggressively discouraged from buying an EV. The Clean Cars and Trucks rules not only assure that we can buy locally, but that we can protect the air in our communities,” said Camilla Feibelman, Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter Director.
“Children are more susceptible to air pollution, like the kind that comes from everyday transportation, because their lungs and immune systems are still developing. New Mexico has a higher rate of asthma than the national average, and poor air quality is especially a problem for children living in low-income areas, children of color, and those living near oil and gas production facilities and highways. We owe it to them to ensure that the air they breathe is as clean as possible,” said Bill Jordan, Interim Co-Director/Government Relations Officer, New Mexico Voices for Children.
As faith leaders, our moral imperative is clear: we must do all we can to act for the health of our communities and climate as swiftly as possible. For this reason, people of faith across New Mexico have voiced their strong support for the Advanced Clean Vehicle Standards as they move us forward on extremely important measures of public health, climate responsibility, and economic equity amidst our collective energy transition,” said Rev. Clara Sims, New Mexico & El Paso Region Interfaith Power and Light, Assistant Executive Director.
"New Mexico should keep its new advanced clean car standards on the road. They are poised to slash harmful tailpipe pollution and save lives as they make New Mexico households, businesses, and economy less tied to volatile and costly gasoline that damages our climate. Let's speed up the transition to cleaner, healthier and cheaper transportation,” said Kathy Harris, Director, Clean Vehicles at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council).