Trucks and cars drive down the New Jersey Turnpike in Elizabeth, New Jersey. (File/Mario Tama/Getty Images)
LINCOLN — Nebraska, South Carolina and 22 other Republican-led states asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday to block a push by Democrat-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.”
The letter was signed by leaders in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.