ICYMI: AG Becerra in The Washington Post: California Prepared to Take Action to Defend Fuel-Efficiency Standards

Thursday, March 29, 2018
Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis

Top Trump administration officials are engaged in a heated debate over how to undo federal fuel-efficiency targets for cars and light trucks, as manufacturers voice concern that a major rollback of an Obama-era rule could go too far and fracture the nation’s auto market.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) said the state has no intention of backing down on its plans to increase fuel-efficiency goals over time: “We’re prepared to take whatever action, legal or otherwise, that we must to protect our economy, our environment and the public health of people of California.”

Beyond the health and climate-related benefits of more stringent emissions standards, he noted, many businesses in California and elsewhere already have made major investments in preparing to build vehicles that meet the guidelines set under the Obama administration.

“What we do, we do because we think it’s the right thing,” Becerra said. “We’re not interested in participating in a race to the bottom.”

Read the entire article here.

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