Fate Of Gas-Powered Vehicles In CT Decided For Now But Here’s What May Come Next

CONNECTICUT — A proposal that would eventually ban the sale of gas-powered cars in Connecticut will likely not go to a vote in a legislative committee on Tuesday as originally planned, according to reports.

Republicans have criticized the plans for months, which calls for the ban of internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035. The legislature's Regulation Review Committee was slated to vote on the new emissions standards on Tuesday, FOX 61 reported.

Jonathan Dach, Lamont's chief of staff, told The Hartford Business Journal that the administration made the decision to pull the regulations after learning that the Regulation Review Committee had the votes to kill the plan, with no hopes of reviving it in the future.

House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora (R-North Branford) responded to the news saying in a statement:

“The Governor’s decision to pull proposed regulations banning the sales of new gas-powered vehicles is a prudent move considering the growing revolt from a diverse chorus of stakeholders with concerns ranging from electric grid capacity and reliability to the availability of charging stations and simple freedom of choice."

See also: Beloved Schools Employee, 23, Killed In Crash, ID Released

• Driver Killed After Deer Crashes Into Windshield, ID Released
• More Pharmacy Locations Closing In CT: Here’s Where, When

Candelora said Democrats should "go back to the drawing board and develop a more realistic proposal that controls costs and protects consumer choice for Connecticut residents.”

However, Gov. Ned Lamont held a press conference Tuesday in which he said he will continue with his plan for moving the state toward electric vehicles. He said instead of having the 14-member committee review the plan, it will now go to the full legislature during the 2024 session, according to The Hartford Courant.

He said that the standards would follow numerous other states, including Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado, and New Mexico, with almost 40% of the American population moving in this direction.

In a statement over the summer, Lamont noted that neighboring states "are taking decisive action to meet our climate pollution reduction targets,” and that cars and trucks are the largest air pollution sector in the state.

He said that the regulations were "moving in coordination with commitments made by vehicle manufacturers to go all in on electrification.”