Featured
New Mexico has a new state clean car rule. So why does sa国际传媒官网网页入口/Bernalillo County have its own proposed regulation?
The last time Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham was publicly seen in an electric vehicle was at a July 3 news conference in Rio Rancho, when she got out of a bright red Ford Mustang Mach E 4X prior to announcing zero-emission mandates for new cars and trucks sent to New Mexico.
Published
Modified
Earlier this month, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that the state would add aggressive emissions restrictions for new cars sold in the state.
Now, the program that implements and enforces air regulations in sa国际传媒官网网页入口 and Bernalillo County has called on the joint sa国际传媒官网网页入口-Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board to adopt its own clean car regulations.
The rules, which are based on a California ordinance that sets annual targets for zero-emission car sales for automakers, are nearly identical.
But why are they separate? It鈥檚 a jurisdictional jigsaw puzzle .
There are two air quality jurisdictions in the state: one in sa国际传媒官网网页入口 and Bernalillo County, which has its rules set by the joint air quality board, and the other, which includes the rest of the state and is overseen by the New Mexico Environment Department.
Although the new clean car regulations are a statewide action, both NMED and the sa国际传媒官网网页入口-Bernalillo County Joint Air Quality Program have to call on their respective regulatory agencies to adopt the measure 鈥� the Air Quality Control Board and the state Environmental Improvement Board.
The city and county are asking for the AQCB to put the clean car petition on its agenda and hold a joint hearing with the EIB to discuss adopting the same proposed rules together.
鈥淐onsidering the City鈥檚 and State鈥檚 proposed rules together will ensure the standards are consistent statewide in accordance with federal requirements,鈥� reads a news release from the city Environmental Health Department.
| Advanced clean car rule Year | Percent zero emissions | |
| 2026 | 43% | |
| 2027 | 51% | |
| 2028 | 59% | |
| 2029 | 68% | |
| 2030 | 76% | |
| 2031 | 82% |
The standards, if adopted, would apply to all car models 2027 or later. By 2031, the state would require 82% of all new vehicles to be zero-emission. Used vehicle purchases would not be included.
鈥淭ransportation is one of our largest contributions to greenhouse gas emissions in sa国际传媒官网网页入口 and we鈥檙e using all our tools to reduce those levels,鈥� Environmental Health Director Angel Martinez Jr. said in a release. 鈥淭his updated rule will help mitigate the effects of climate change, reduce air pollution, and improve the health of all our residents.鈥�
