The Maine Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) has to delay a vote on an electric vehicle (EV) mandate due to…power outages!

On December 19, 2023, Governor Janet Mills declared a State of Civil Emergency for 14 Maine counties following a significant wind and rain storm that has left hundreds of thousands of people without power and that has caused significant flooding and infrastructure damage, including to town and state roadways.

In consideration of the challenges facing Maine citizens who may wish to participate in the upcoming Board meeting in Augusta, the Board is postponing its meeting scheduled for December 21, 2023. Democrat Gov. Janet Mills desperately wants to adopt the standards similar to California. The mandate would require “43 percent of new cars sold in Maine be zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs by model year 2027 and 82 percent by model year 2032.”