Trucks drive down the New Jersey Turnpike in Elizabeth, New Jersey. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
LINCOLN — Nebraska and 23 other Republican-led states asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday to block a push by Democratic-led California to require more trucks used for transporting goods to reduce carbon emissions.
Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, who led the effort, argued in a letter that California is overstepping its authority and risks harming commerce beyond its borders. He and the other attorneys general wrote that forcing a shift from diesel fuel to electric energy could lead to higher prices for food, fuel and more consumer goods.
“California lacks the legal authority to export its electric truck mandate to the rest of the country,” the letter says. “Granting this waiver would be unconstitutional because it would allow California to regulate motor vehicles in a manner that no other state can.”