Democratic Maine Rep. Jared Golden, who is running for reelection in a swing district, is taking a strong stance against a proposed electric vehicle mandate in his state. Golden's office confirmed to Fox News Digital that he remains opposed to Maine's EV mandate, which was proposed by the state's Board of Environmental Protection earlier this year and is slated for formal adoption on Wednesday.
While the Maine Board of Environmental Protection was originally slated to vote on adopting the Advanced Clear Car Program in late December, a major windstorm caused widespread power outages statewide, forcing state offices to be closed and the agency's vote to be indefinitely delayed. After the vote was delayed, Golden remarked that under the EV mandate, such a storm knocking out power would ironically have rendered most new cars 'useless.
Meanwhile, Golden has also taken a stance against broader EV efforts, voting in favor of a bill to prohibit the federal government from allowing state mandates limiting gas car sales in September and, in December, in favor of a bill striking down the Biden administration's aggressive tailpipe emissions standards aimed at pushing EV sales. The Maine Board of Environmental Protection did not immediately respond to a request for comment.