Maine's EV Mandate Vote Delayed Amid Power Outages and Storm Recovery

The Maine Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) has indefinitely postponed a vote on a sweeping electric vehicle (EV) mandate due to a storm that caused widespread power outages. The storm, which led to a state of emergency declaration by Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills, resulted in the closure of state government offices. The proposed mandate, which aims to mimic California's regulations, has faced bipartisan opposition, with concerns raised about the reliability of electricity generation and supply during storms. Critics argue that the U.S. power grid is ill-equipped to handle the increased demand from widespread EV adoption.