Maine residents blast proposal incentivizing electric vehicles

The Maine Board of Environmental Protection heard feedback on a proposal earlier this week that would phase out sales of gas-powered vehicles, with dozens of residents speaking out against it. 

“Don’t turn Maine into California,” former California resident John Barkley said during the public comment portion of the hearing. 

“I am not a fan of any of these policies,” the now-Maine resident explained. “We don’t need Gavin Newsom and the policies of California to come in here to Maine.”

According to Bangor Daily News, the proposal, which was presented as a petition from the Natural Resources Council of Maine and other environmental groups, would phase out sales of gas-powered cars, with supporters saying it would reduce air pollution and save money on healthcare. It would also encourage the ownership of electric vehicles. 

Specifically, the plan would have zero-emission vehicles comprise 43 percent of new sales for model year 2027 and 82 percent of sales by model year 2032.

But opponents said it was much too soon to do this and that rural areas are behind in infrastructure.

Republican State Representative Joshua Morris said that Maine's harsh winters are not being taken into consideration with this proposal. 

“How often in Maine do people lose power?” Morris asked, according to The Daily Wire. “Especially in the winter, if they lose power, they’re not going to be able to charge their vehicle.”

“There are not enough adjectives to describe how bad this policy is for the people of Maine. It’s callous, aloof, unthinking, unfeeling, unworkable and simply cruel. Hardworking Mainers deserve better from their government than this policy pushed by a far-left extremist group,” he continued.