skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 13, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

EPA head says he'll roll back dozens of environmental regulations, including rules on climate change; Environmental groups sue over permit for West Virginia valley fills; Doubling down on care: Ohio's push for caregiver tax relief; Uncertain future of Y-12 complex under Trump administration threatens jobs, economy.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Senate Democrats refuse to support GOP budget bill. The EU and Canada respond to steel and aluminum tariffs and some groups work to counter Christian Nationalism, which they call a threat to democracy.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Farmers worry promised federal reimbursements aren't coming while fears mount that the Trump administration's efforts to raise cash means the sale of public lands, and rural America's shortage of doctors has many physicians skipping retirement.

VA adopts rule to sell only 'clean' cars starting in 2035

play audio
Play

Friday, February 16, 2024   

Virginia has adopted a new rule advancing clean car use.

The Advanced Clean Cars II Rule requires carmakers to only sell zero-emission vehicles by 2035. Some lawmakers are not so eager to have this come to fruition. Last year, Republicans in the House passed a bill to repeal a law holding Virginia to California's vehicle emissions standards. It was later defeated in the Senate.

Cheri Conca, transportation and smart growth program manager for the Virginia chapter of the Sierra Club, said misinformation has made it challenging to get this rule adopted.

"First of all, people think, 'Oh, this is some other state's rules or they think we can make up our own rules for Virginia.' The truth is every state has an option to either pick the EPA standards or you pick the Advanced Clean Car standards," Conca explained. "You have to pick one or the other."

A Southern Environmental Law Center report found lower vehicle emissions could save the state billions in health care-related costs. So far, 13 other states and Washington D.C., have adopted the Advanced Clean Car II Rule.

Like so many states, transportation is the leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions in Virginia, with 53% of carbon dioxide pollution stemming from passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks. The rule takes effect March 13.

Now the question becomes whether Virginia has the infrastructure to accommodate electric vehicles. Dominion Energy has been developing the state's electric car grid for some time, but Conca noted people wonder whether the energy infrastructure can handle it.

"When we think about the grid, people worry about the grid," Conca observed. "The amount of time you're actually charging your car is minimal. So, even if we have every new car sale, you know the amount of new cars compared to car sales overall, it's not going to topple the grid."

The electricity needed to power an EV in Virginia emits less than 17% of the carbon dioxide emitted from a traditional gasoline car. A Virginia Conservation Network report finds the state won't be able to meet its climate goals without a 43% greenhouse gas emissions reduction in the transportation sector by 2030.

Disclosure: The Sierra Club contributes to our fund for reporting on Climate Change/Air Quality, Energy Policy, Environment, and Environmental Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
"In Utah, we've been consistently told that transitioning away from coal would devastate our rural communities, but this report reveals a different reality," said Luis Miranda, Utah-based Campaign Organizer for the Sierra Club. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

The Sierra Club's Utah chapter said electric utility PacifiCorp's long-term plan to embrace renewable energy has changed and is now placing more relia…


Social Issues

play sound

New data show fewer than half of rural Gen Z'ers believe they can find a good job in their community, compared to nearly 70% of their urban peers…

Environment

play sound

As federal funding for climate initiatives faces steep cuts, nonprofits and philanthropic organizations are stepping into the breach, calling out the …


The U.S. solar industry employs more than 263,000 workers, with jobs in installation, manufacturing, and research continuing to grow. (rh2010/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Michigan ranks 26th in the U.S. for total installed solar capacity, while global capacity rose 21% from 2023. However, there are industry concerns …

Social Issues

play sound

School employees are expressing outrage at the mass layoffs of half the U.S. Department of Education workforce. Secretary of Education Linda …

Social Issues

play sound

Republicans in Washington, D.C. remain focused on greatly reducing federal spending. However, a backlash is mounting in Congressional districts…

Social Issues

play sound

Maryland ranks second in the nation for charging children who have committed crimes as adults. But one expert says a more trauma-informed response in …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021