Vermont officials outline how California-based clean-vehicle rules will take effect in model year 2026

Vermont's Agency of Natural Resources told a joint hearing of the Senate Transportation and Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committees on Feb. 6 that rules based on California standards'including Advanced Clean Cars 2 (ACC 2) and Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT)'are on the books and begin affecting the market in model year 2026.

Jane Zorczak, director of the Climate Action Office in the Agency of Natural Resources, said the rules are part of Vermont's strategy to meet greenhouse-gas targets in the Global Warming Solutions Act. "These rules are critical for the state of Vermont in meeting our climate goals," Zorczak said, adding the agency could not meet its statutory targets without measures like ACC 2 and ACT.

The presentation explained two linked regulatory approaches. Rachel Stevens, an attorney in the agency's Office of General Counsel, described the combined structure as emissions-control standards for internal-combustion engines (low-emission vehicle or LEV elements) plus a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) sales requirement that obliges manufacturers to deliver an increasing share of plug-in vehicles and other zero-emission models to Vermont.

The ACC 2 delivery requirement, the agency said, ramps to 35% by model year 2026 and is built to reach 100% of new light-duty deliveries by 2035. The ACT program covers medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and ramps more slowly to reflect the current market for those vehicles; compliance uses a credit-banking and trading system that can allow manufacturers flexibility in meeting percentage targets.

Zorczak and Stevens emphasized that the rules regulate manufacturers, not consumers or dealers. "This is not a vehicle purchase mandate," Stevens said. "Internal combustion engines will continue to be available for sale in Vermont." The rulebook also includes consumer protections tied to California certification, such as longer component warranties and stricter emissions durability standards.

Agency staff described the rules'modeled on California'as only one component of a broader strategy. Zorczak said ANR's modeling estimates ACC 2 and ACT together will reduce transportation-sector emissions by about 230,000 metric tons toward Vermont's 2030 goal, leaving a remaining gap of roughly 640,000 metric tons in the sector that will require additional policies and incentives.

Officials and invited experts addressed implementation issues that legislators raised: credit accounting, charging infrastructure, costs and incentives, medium/heavy-duty vehicle weight limits, and lifecycle emissions of batteries. Deirdre Ritzer, mobile sources section chief at the Department of Environmental Conservation, said the agency posts manufacturer credit banks on its website and that credit reporting typically lags model years by about 12'18 months. "We have model year 2022 credits up on our website and are updating 2023," Ritzer said.

State transportation and energy staff said Vermont is expanding public charging and focusing on high-value placements such as corridor fast-charging, downtowns and workplace charging. Officials cited a National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) guideline of about 40 Level-2 plugs per 1,000 EVs and said Vermont currently exceeds that benchmark (agency materials showed Vermont at 56.3 plugs per 1,000 EVs including residential chargers).

On heavy vehicles, Ritzer and ANR staff said federal practice already allows certain weight allowances for EVs and that North American Council on Freight Efficiency analyses indicate weight is not a barrier for many medium-duty applications. ANR said multiple federal and state incentives exist for fleets and that the agency manages Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) funds and remaining Volkswagen settlement funds for truck and bus electrification.

Several senators pressed officials on affordability and whether incentives and utility programs reach those most in need. Zorczak noted the federal tax credit ($7,500) and state programs (up to $10,000 in state incentives; other state programs such as Replace Your Ride) and said many incentives are income-qualified and targeted at lower-income Vermonters. She also said the rules are intended to increase the supply of used EVs over time because many EVs now entering the market are designed with longer useful lives.

Vermont Natural Resources Council energy director Johanna Miller, who also serves on the Climate Council, told the committee that ACC 2 and ACT were core, high-impact recommendations of the Climate Action Plan and that the rules are one of the few policies the plan identified as delivering more than 10% of a sector's required emissions reductions. "This program is fundamental to achieving emissions reductions in the transportation sector," Miller said.

Officials closed by offering follow-ups to legislators: provide credit-bank data as it becomes available, supply the agency economic analyses and more-detailed charging-siting reports, and clarify utility-specific incentive availability. There were no committee votes at the hearing; staff framed the session as informational and said follow-up briefings and more detailed conversations would continue.

Ending with practical details, the agencies reiterated that implementation depends on complementary policies'a robust incentive package, expanded charging, and targeted programs for low-income households and fleets'to translate vehicle deliveries into vehicles owned and driven in Vermont.