A plan to stop the sale of gas-powered cars in Connecticut appears headed for a rerouting.
On Tuesday, lawmakers were poised to vote on ending purchases of those vehicles by 2035. But that vote seems unlikely to happen.
Gov. Ned Lamont held a news conference in its place to talk about electric vehicles. It happened at the same time a legislative committee was expected to vote on whether the state should ban the sale of new, gas-powered vehicles by 2035.
The goal was to match California’s car emissions regulations Connecticut adopted in 2004. But amid growing opposition there appears to be a change of plan.
“The regs have been pulled from the Regs (Regulation ) Review Committee pertaining to the adoption of the clean car standards,” State Sen. Christine Cohen, the Senate chair of the Transportation Committee, said during a news conference on Tuesday afternoon.
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The Connecticut Energy Marketers Association, which represents fuel sellers, said it applauds Lamont’s decision not to move forward with the vote.
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“I think that it's a wise move on the governor's part in response to the public outrage about the potential that this policy would have on consumer cost across the board; whether it's being required to buy electric vehicles that are more expensive, the grid's inability to supply enough power and the risk of blackouts, the cost of having to install charging infrastructure throughout the state, which would increase electric rates,” CEMA President Chris Herb said.
The governor’s office did not return our repeated requests for comment Monday about Lamont’s apparent shift.
Earlier this month, he wrote in a statement that:
“The shift to zero-emission vehicles is already here. Consumers and car companies are both embracing the change.”
House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora said it was a smart move for the governor to scrap the ban and he should instead focus on proposals that control costs and protect consumer choice.
