Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection announced on April 14 that it would exercise enforcement discretion for manufacturers that are unable to meet the minimum zero-emission vehicle sales requirements in the Advanced Clean Trucks regulation.
The MassDEP action delays enforcement of ACT sales thresholds for model years 2025 and 2026, which is expected to mitigate disruptions in the medium and heavy-duty vehicle market across the Commonwealth.
“Cities and towns greatly appreciate the MassDEP’s exercise of discretion and its recognition of the market forces that are impacting the ACT initiative,” said MMA Executive Director Adam Chapdelaine.
The Massachusetts Advanced Clean Truck rule requires gradually increasing annual zero-emission vehicle sales percentages for new medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, and was set to start with model year 2025.
The ACT rule applies to on-road vehicles weighing 8,500 pounds or more (classes 2b-8). Enforcement is through engine manufacturer sales reporting, with fines to manufacturers for noncompliance.
There is no required process for manufacturers to meet the zero-emission vehicle sales goals, but many manufacturers have been requiring dealers to prioritize the sale of these vehicles in the affected categories before allowing sales of vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines. This practice has limited the availability of internal combustion engine vehicles in the affected classes and made them difficult to purchase across the state.
The MassDEP action requires manufacturers to allow sales of internal combustion engines vehicles in the affected classes by not penalizing manufacturers that are not able to meet ZEV sales percentage thresholds.
MassDEP had announced enforcement discretion under the ACT at the end of 2024, exempting state and local government vehicles used for snow plowing and removal and street sweepers for model years 2025 and 2026. The enforcement discretion announced on April 10 replaces and supersedes the 2024 action.
The MassDEP has also adopted a regulatory amendment postponing the start of the Heavy-Duty Omnibus rule until model year 2026, requiring more stringent nitrogen oxide emissions standards for heavy-duty diesel engines.
The MMA has been working with the MassDEP to help ensure a full understanding of the requirements and implications of the Advanced Clean Truck and Heavy-duty Omnibus rules, expressing concern about disruptions to essential services that are provided by municipalities and private sector contractors. The MMA and many other stakeholders have requested a delay to the effective date of both regulations.
Two bills have been filed this session to address ACT rules, and both have been referred to the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, but a hearing has not yet been scheduled.
Meanwhile, multiple resolutions have been introduced in the U.S. Congress that challenge ACT and similar emissions regulations adopted by California, Massachusetts, and a handful of other states.