Colorado government officials started the process this week to require semi-tractor truck manufacturers and dealers to start pushing low-emission diesel trucks to Colorado customers. 

The rules would apply to all large trucks, like garbage or delivery vehicles. 

The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission heard a presentation Tuesday from a Colorado Air Pollution Control Division representative about what those new rules could look like.

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A small group of clean-air advocates from Clean Energy Action held a rally outside the Commission’s Denver headquarters Tuesday.

The rulemaking effort would require large truck dealers to market a certain percentage of their stock as low-emissions diesel engines starting in 2027, and zero-emission medium and heavy-duty electric trucks starting in model year 2035.

The proposed program applies not only to heavy-duty trucks, it can also apply to “larger pickups and Sprinter vans” weighing more than 8,500 pounds gross vehicle weight, according to state air quality officials.

Garry Kaufman, director of the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division, asked the commission to begin the process of making rules that comply with legislative directions in Senate Bill 21-260, called the Sustainability of The Transportation System, and the Colorado Clean Truck Strategy.

The program would “ramp up” marketing requirements through 2035 to “significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other emissions that contribute to ozone pollution,” with the goal of a 100% zero-emissions truck fleet by 2050, Kaufman said.

There are no requirements proposed that truck buyers purchase only low-emissions or electric trucks.

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Asked by commissioners about the effects of truck-buyer’s preferences, Kaufman said: “Well I mean there’s a lot they (truck manufacturers) can do to make sure those trucks get sold. They can make them attractive to the consumer and that’s what really pushes it to make sure that they manufacture a vehicle that people want and then price it appropriately.

“I do want to be clear this is not a mandate on consumers.” 

Colorado vehicle emissions standards are linked to California’s vehicle emissions rules, though not absolutely.

By 8 to 1 commission members voted to adopt California’s zero-emission vehicle program on August 15, 2019. Gov. Jared Polis signed a memorandum of understanding with 15 states and the District of Columbia to pursue “widespread electrification of medium-and heavy-duty vehicles” June 29, 2020.

The California Air Resources Board enacted a policy in August to require all new cars, trucks and SUVs sold in the state to run on electricity or hydrogen by 2035.

According to Kaufman, the federal Clean Air Act has a preemption against state vehicle emissions standards for new vehicles, meaning states cannot set their own vehicle emissions standards differently than the federal regulations.

However provisions added to the Act allow other states to adopt California’s emissions control laws so long as such standards “are identical to the California standards for which a waiver has been granted for such model year,” Kaufman said.

According to an economic analysis by the air pollution control division, the new rules could save Coloradans $15.6 billion through 2050 from reduced maintenance costs, fuel costs, avoided health impacts, and avoided climate impacts – including avoiding 24 million tons of greenhouse gasses and 58,000 tons of nitrogen oxide.

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Through 2050, according to the analysis, a projected total of 722,000 vehicles will be subject to the Advanced Clean Trucks requirements.

“For Colorado it is expected to affect 28,266 engines and vehicles beginning at the start of the program with the 2027 model year,” according to the analysis. “This is expected to grow to 43,995 engines and vehicles in model year 2050. Through this time span, a projected total of 722,000 vehicles will be subject to the proposed low NOx standards rule.”

The formal rule making process, which has not yet been started, provides opportunities for the public to give feedback through meetings and a written comment period. For more information, including links to the proposed rules, visit the Air Quality Control Commission website cdphe.colorado.gov/aqcc.