Environment Department and City of Albuquerque announce public meetings on Advanced Clean Cars and Advanced Clean Truck rules

Today, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) and the City of Albuquerque announced the dates of public meetings on the proposed Advanced Clean Cars and Advanced Clean Trucks rules.

NMED staff will facilitate these meetings and answer questions from attendees. The New Mexico Department of Transportation will also participate in the meetings in order to provide a comprehensive perspective on how the proposed rules impact transportation.

The public meetings will take place:

• 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 19, 2023, at the Community Room in the Santa Fe Public Library - Southside Branch, 6599 Jaguar Drive in Santa Fe
• 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, online at https://nmed-oit.webex.com/weblink/register/r98e1f875171c6a28f99910fbf11015e7
• 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Monday, October 16, 2023, in the Community Meeting Room at the International District Library, 7601 Central Ave NE in Albuquerque

Members of the public can also submit written public comment on these rules here.

"These rules are essential to create a prosperous and cleaner future for New Mexicans,” said Environmental Protection Division Director Michelle Miano. “I look forward to the discussions that will take place and encourage the public to participate in this process.”

“The proposed rules will have a large impact in significantly reducing ground-level ozone and greenhouse gas emissions,” said City of Albuquerque Environmental Health Deputy Director Chris Albrecht. “We look forward to the public dialogue to help create the most sustainable solutions for a healthier city and state.”

The proposed Advanced Clean Cars rule directs vehicle manufacturers to deliver an increased number of zero-emission light-duty cars and trucks to New Mexico, starting with model year 2027, and ensuring that over 80% of new cars and trucks delivered to New Mexico for sale are electric by 2032. Similarly, the proposed Advanced Clean Trucks rule guarantees that 40-75% of new medium and heavy-duty trucks delivered for sale are zero-emission vehicles by 2035.

Zero-emission vehicles don’t emit exhaust gas or other pollutants from the onboard source of power.  Cleaner cars improve local air quality. Experts project that this rule will save New Mexicans over 25 million dollars cumulatively in health care costs, lost workdays, and lost years of life through 2040. 

The rules are a critical piece of the state’s overall strategy to reduce pollution from the transportation sector - the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants in New Mexico. They complement a suite of existing and future low-carbon strategies, like developing clean hydrogen to power heavy-duty trucks, adopting renewable energy requirements for the electric grid, and the existing Clean Cars rule adopted by the Environmental Improvement Board (EIB) and the Albuquerque-Bernalillo Air Quality Control Board in 2022.

To hear and consider technical and public comments, the EIB will join the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Quality Board at a public hearing beginning at 9 a.m. on November 13, 2023, in the Bigbee Auditorium at the New Mexico State Bar Center, 5121 Masthead St NE, Albuquerque. The hearing is anticipated to last three days with the deliberations and potential decision to immediately follow the conclusion of the hearing. View the proposed rules and a statement of reasons for their recommended adoption.

More information on the rules can be found at NMED’s website: https://www.env.nm.gov/transportation/.