BOSTON — The Healey administration is pumping the brakes on tough new zero-emissions standards for trucks that were set to go into effect next year, citing a lack of technology and enforcement authority.
The state Department of Environmental Protection said it is delaying implementation of the so-called Advanced Clean Truck regulations that would have required auto manufacturers, starting with the 2025 model year, to gradually increase annual sales of new zero-emission trucks in the state. The rules will now go into effect beginning with 2026 models, regulators said.
The state agency is also carving out new exemptions for snow removal vehicles, such as dump trucks, salt and sand spreaders, front–end loaders and street sweepers for models made after 2025, and 2026 for state and municipal vehicles.
“Municipalities have also expressed challenges with identifying electric trucks that serve their needs and concerns about charging infrastructure, particularly for handling potential snow emergencies,” MassDEP said. “These added flexibilities will allow municipalities to procure the equipment they need while still making progress on decarbonizing our transportation sector.”
MassDEP noted that California, the first state to adopt the emission standards, hasn’t received a waiver from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to enforce the new regulations. That means that Massachusetts also has no authority to enforce the standards, the agency said.
Environmentalists blasted the move, arguing that it will hinder the state’s efforts to meet benchmarks to cut excessive greenhouse gas emissions that scientists say are contributing to climate change.
“This is another disappointing failure of climate leadership and policy transparency by the Healey Administration, which has postponed a major climate and clean air rule and evaded public scrutiny by cynically declaring an ‘emergency’ based solely on closed-door meetings with local officials hearing unfounded claims from engine vendors,” Brad Campbell, president of the Conservation Law Foundation, said in a statement.
But critics argue that the standards are unreachable with existing electric-vehicle technology and have pointed to a lack of electric vehicle charging stations and power grid capacity to handle the shift to zero emissions trucking.
The conservative pro-business group Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance praised the Healey administration’s decision to delay implementation of the “unrealistic” truck emission rules that the group argues would drive up costs for consumers.
“The Executive branch adopted these arbitrary rules with unrealistic prohibitions despite the objections of so many people, businesses, and organizations who told them how harmful they would be,” MassFiscal spokesman Paul Craney said in a prepared statement.
“As reality begins to set in, it should come as no surprise that they were forced to reverse course from disaster.”
The Massachusetts Trucking Association was among those who had called on the Healey administration to put the brakes on the program, raising concerns about the cost and a lack of new technology to support the tough new restrictions.
In a letter to Healey last week, a coalition of 50 other business groups joined truckers in calling on the governor to postpone the emission rules, echoing similar concerns.
“Massachusetts has not made enough progress on building out a network of public or private charging stations for commercial vehicles,” according to the letter.
“Further, even if many of the companies could afford an electric MHD truck option, the most important fact remains that an electric option does not yet exist for many of the MHD trucks that are needed by almost every industry – whether in construction, forestry, landscaping, grocery, concrete mixing, towing or any other industry.”
The Advanced Clean Trucks regulations, unveiled by then- Republican Gov. Charlie Baker in 2022, will require manufacturers to increase zero-emission truck sales in the state between 30% and 50% by 2030 and 40% and 75% by 2035.
The move would make Massachusetts one of five states — including Washington, Oregon, New York, New Jersey — to adopt California’s stringent rules.
Environmental groups say the move will help the state meet its ambitious climate-change goals, which call for “net zero” carbon emissions by 2050.
Critics say the move will have a cost for consumers, businesses and local governments that use these types of vehicles for delivering freight and goods and providing other services from municipal trash collection to construction.
Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.