William L. Witham Jr., a retired Kent County resident judge, is an advisory board member for A Better Delaware. He is also a former leader in the U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard, with 34 years of service.
It would appear that Delaware is embarking on directly controlling the technological development of transportation for its citizens. We may be faced, if the current Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control plans are adopted, with being treated as if we are residents of California without our consent. I will not deal with the obvious legal issues with this concept, since the rules in question are not the same ones unveiled for public comment and discussion under the state Administrative Procedures Act. This fact may very well undermine the ability of DNREC to impose the proposed regulations.
The department seeks a goal of 82% zero-emission vehicles by 2032. This is only about eight years away. The plan is to have car manufacturers sell 82% emission-free vehicles by this date, with only 18% allocated to traditional gas-powered vehicles. This seems to be an impossible task, since this will cause an economic upheaval, to say the least.