The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will hold a series of information and listening sessions with stakeholders in the coming weeks before proposing new rules for an Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) program in North Carolina.

On Oct. 25, 2022, Governor Roy Cooper signed Executive Order 271, charging DEQ with establishing the ACT program. DEQ’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) is developing draft ACT rules to present to the Environmental Management Commission (EMC) later this year.

ACT will position North Carolina to benefit from the global market transition to commercial electric vans and trucks by requiring manufacturers to sell an increasing percentage of zero-emission vehicles over time. ACT would also provide flexibility, through credits, trading and other features, as segments of the market grow at different speeds. The sales targets would drive investment in other zero-emission technologies, including charging and fueling infrastructure.

By reducing vehicle emissions that impact all North Carolinians — especially low-income communities and communities of color — ACT will encourage economic development and job growth, maximize consumer choice for small businesses, and advance the state’s climate and environmental justice objectives.

As part of the rulemaking process, DEQ is collaborating with local governments, environmental justice organizations, underserved communities, automobile manufacturers, motor fleet owners, electric utilities, the North Carolina Utilities Commission, public health experts, environmental organizations and other interested stakeholders in developing the proposed rule and the associated regulatory impact analysis.

DEQ will host a series of webinars and in-person meetings to meaningfully engage stakeholders before the proposed ACT program is presented to the EMC for consideration. Following an informational webinar on Jan. 9, 2023, four community meetings across the state and online will provide an overview of the ACT rulemaking process and solicit input from members of the public. This includes the newly announced Feb. 1 virtual stakeholder meeting. At a final webinar on Feb. 21, DEQ will provide an overview of the input received and discuss the next steps in rulemaking.

We want to hear the public’s thoughts and ideas about North Carolina’s proposed Advanced Clean Trucks program. The public is invited to attend any of the following meetings:

Residents and stakeholders may also provide comment by sending an email to daq.publiccomments@ncdenr.gov with subject line “Advanced Clean Trucks” before Feb. 24, 2023. Comments can also be left via voice mail by calling 919-707-8726.

Live Spanish interpretation services will be available to attendees at the Jan. 23 stakeholder meeting in Burlington. Please indicate in your registration if you require interpretation services. To request additional information in Spanish or to request interpretation services at another stakeholder meeting, please call 919-609-2189 or send an email to Guadalupe.jimenez@ncdenr.gov.

Following these stakeholder meetings, DAQ will draft proposed rules and a regulatory impact analysis to present to the EMC’s Air Quality Committee during its May 2023 meeting. The draft rules will then be presented to the full EMC during its July 2023 meeting. If the EMC approves proceeding with the rules, there will be a 60-day public comment period and public hearing, expected during the summer of 2023.

The ACT program would apply to commercial medium- and heavy-duty vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of at least 8,500 pounds, covering a variety of vehicles, including delivery vans, box trucks, garbage trucks and semi tractors. ACT would not apply to consumer passenger vehicles or off-road vehicles such as farm equipment and tractors.

First enacted by California, ACT rules have also been adopted in Oregon, Washington, New York, New Jersey Massachusetts, and Vermont. ACT rules are under consideration in several other states across the nation.

More information about ACT is available on the Department’s website: deq.nc.gov/ACT.

Si necesita esta información en español por favor llame al 919-609-2189 o mande un correo a Guadalupe.jimenez@ncdenr.gov. Si necesita interprete durante la junta, llame al (919) 609-2189.

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