Trucking companies and truck dealerships in Maryland got some relief from Gov. Wes Moore, who decided to hold off on enforcing Advanced Clean Trucks for the first two years of the regulation.
On April 4, Gov. Moore signed an executive order that effectively delays enforcement of Advanced Clean Trucks by two years. He pointed to President Donald Trump’s current policies as part of the reason for the delay.
Maryland adopted Advanced Clean Trucks in 2023, with enforcement beginning with model year 2027 trucks. Under the new rules, 15% of truck manufacturers’ model year 2027 truck sales must be zero-emission trucks. That percentage increases each year until 2032, when 40% of sales must be zero-emission trucks.
The executive order does not completely halt enforcement of Advanced Clean Trucks. Rather, Moore gave the state Department of Environment “enforcement discretion,” including “declining to pursue penalties” if a truck manufacturer does not meet requirements for model years 2027 and 2028 trucks.
In the executive order, Moore mentions Trump’s executive order to pause all funding from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure grant program, which allocates $7.5 billion to charging infrastructure projects. One of the biggest concerns among trucking stakeholders is that the lack of a charging infrastructure makes electric trucks unfeasible, throwing up a major roadblock for electric truck adoption.
In addition to delaying enforcement, Moore directed the Department of Environment to make any regulatory changes that may “ease any compliance burdens caused by changes in the federal policy.” He also created a working group to come up with recommendations on how Advanced Clean Trucks can be successfully implemented in Maryland. The 15-member group includes representatives from truck manufacturers, the Maryland Motor Truck Association and the Maryland Automobile Dealers Association.
Maryland Motor Truck Association President Louis Campion told Land Line in an email that the association appreciates Moore’s decision to pause enforcement of Advanced Clean Trucks.
“We continue to work with the state on completion of the needs assessment that was required when the ACT originally passed so we can identify and overcome the hurdles that must be addressed before widespread adoption of electric trucks is feasible,” Campion said. “The governor’s approach tying future delays to the completion of and findings in the needs assessment will allow for continued progression of the program in the state, without the fear of fines or inventory restrictions, as the infrastructure and market for zero-emission trucks continues to develop.”
Ten states have adopted California’s Advanced Clean Trucks. Maryland’s statute is unique in that it includes a “needs assessment and deployment plan.” That provision looked into a variety of factors that could affect the successful implementation of the rules, including electrical capacity, the number of truck charging stations, purchase incentives, economic feasibility and available truck models. If the Department of Environment found new requirements unfeasible, it could delay implementation.
Other states were not so lucky. Stakeholders in the five states that implemented Advanced Clean Trucks this year – Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Washington state – have been urging their state government officials to delay the new rules by at least two years.
Last December, eight trucking associations issued a letter to nine governors in states adopting Advanced Clean Trucks to express concern over the new rules. Neither the Maryland Motor Truck Association nor Moore was involved in that letter.
Moore’s executive order mirrors a bill introduced by state Del. Dana Stein, D-Baltimore County. HB1556 sought to prohibit the Department of Environment from implementing Advanced Clean Trucks for model years 2027-28 until a new “needs assessment and deployment plan” is published. Similar bills have been introduced in other states that have adopted the new rules.
In January, the Oregon House Committee on Climate, Energy and Environment held a hearing for HB3119, which delays implementation of Advanced Clean Trucks by two years. On Wednesday, April 9, state Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis (R-Albany), who introduced the bill, encouraged Oregon to follow Maryland’s lead.
“Maryland’s decision should serve as a wake-up call for Oregon,” Boshart Davis said in a statement. “Maryland understands the practical unworkability of these rules, and it’s time for us to come to terms with them as well. (The Department of Environmental Quality’s) credit proposal isn’t good enough – it doesn’t work. Following Maryland’s lead would give Oregon dealers and manufacturers the certainty they need instead of relying on DEQ to administer a complex credit system. We must act now before we lose businesses and hurt workers who rely on diesel equipment to make a living.”
Oregon is considering amending its version of Advanced Clean Trucks to include more flexibilities for manufacturers. Comments are being accepted until 4 p.m. on April 23 and can be submitted here.
On Tuesday, April 8, more than 30 business organizations in New York sent a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul, urging her to support A6359 and S5931. The bills would prohibit the state from implementing Advanced Clean Trucks before Jan. 1, 2027. LL
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