Nevada joins lawsuit over fuel efficiency

CARSON CITY — Nevada and a coalition of nearly two dozen other states Wednesday sued the Trump administration over a federal rule that rolls back vehicle emissions standards, claiming that the change will hurt the nation’s economy and stymie the strides made in combating climate change.

Attorneys general for the 22 states that filed the lawsuit argued that rule change is unlawful because it violates congressional mandates and relies on an analysis marred by errors and omissions in order to justify the Trump administration’s desired result.

The rule, which was announced March 31 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency, reduces fuel efficiency standards to an annual 1.5 percent miles-per-gallon increase for model years 2021 through 2026. Standards issued under the Obama administration required about 5 percent annual increases to fuel efficiency, the news release said.

The previous mandate required manufacturers to produce cars that would average 54 miles per gallon by 2025, while the new rule lowers that requirement to 40 miles per gallons by 2026.

“Since their introduction in 2010, the Clean Car Standards have saved consumers money, reduced harmful emissions, and helped protect the health of our communities,” Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford said in a release. “The Trump Administration’s dangerous and misguided decision to roll back these federal standards threatens to reverse the progress we’ve made in the fight against climate change. My office won’t stand for it.”

The Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Governor’s Office of Energy spoke out against the rule last month, saying that the rollback of regulations undermines the deployment of new clean vehicle technologies and would increase carbon emissions.

“And most importantly, it will cost consumers more money at the gas pump during these most difficult and uncertain financial times,” the offices said in a joint statement.