Oil, Corn Groups Join in Lawsuit to Suspend Biden Truck Emissions Rules

(Reuters) – Top U.S. oil and corn industry lobbying groups said on Tuesday they were suing President Joe Biden’s administration over its plan to reduce planet-warming emissions from heavy-duty vehicles, arguing that the regulations will cause economic harm.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this spring finalized new rules for models of semi-trucks, buses and other heavy-duty vehicles launched from 2027 to 2032, in a bid to reduce one billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2055. .

Heavy-duty vehicles are major contributors to climate change, accounting for about 7% of national emissions, according to EPA data, and the standards formed an important part of Biden’s broader plan to combat global warming.

“The EPA is forcing a change to a technology that simply does not currently exist for these types of vehicles – and even if it were one day possible, it will almost certainly have consequences for the average American,” said Ryan Meyers, senior vice president and general counsel. from the American Petroleum Institute (API).

The API is the nation’s leading oil and gas lobbying group and includes Exxon Mobil as a member.

The National Corn Growers Association, the American Farm Bureau Federation and the Independent Owner-Operator Motorists Association said they joined Tuesday’s lawsuit, arguing in favor of other methods to combat climate change, such as biofuels.

“The EPA has attempted to impose a one-size-fits-all approach to addressing climate change, prioritizing electric vehicles over other climate solutions such as corn ethanol,” said National Corn Growers Association President Harold Wolle.

The EPA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

API had already filed a federal lawsuit earlier this month seeking to block the Biden administration’s efforts to reduce emissions from cars and light trucks. Under these rules, the administration predicts that up to 56% of all car sales will be electric between 2030 and 2032.

(Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw; writing by Richard Valdmanis; editing by Shri Navaratnam)