BOISE, ID – Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced on May 7 that California has agreed to repeal its “Advanced Clean Fleets” regulation as part of a legal settlement following a lawsuit brought by a coalition of 17 states.
The regulation, which was challenged in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, would have required certain trucking companies to transition away from internal-combustion trucks to electric alternatives. Although a California regulation, the rule applied to any fleet operating in the state, regardless of where the company is based. Critics of the policy raised concerns about its potential nationwide impact, citing California’s major role in interstate commerce and access to international shipping ports.
In the settlement, California agreed not to enforce the regulation and committed to beginning the process to formally remove it. State officials also acknowledged that enforcement of a separate 2036 ban on the sale of internal-combustion trucks would require a waiver from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the federal Clean Air Act.
The lawsuit was led by Nebraska and joined by Idaho and 15 other states, along with the Nebraska Trucking Association and the Arizona State Legislature. The plaintiffs argued that California’s rule constituted regulatory overreach and would impose economic burdens on out-of-state businesses.
Attorney General Labrador, in a prepared statement, characterized the settlement as a win for Idaho’s economy and trucking industry. California has not issued a public comment in response to the settlement as of publication.
The agreement marks the conclusion of a broader legal effort by several states to limit the reach of California’s environmental policies on interstate commerce and trucking standards.