Navigating Bumpy Terrain: Waste Industry Braces for Challenges in California
Haulers and vehicle manufacturers anticipate a surge in regulatory demands and anticipate challenges due to a constrained supply of battery-electric trucks. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has recently adopted the Advanced Clean Fleet rule, mandating waste haulers to procure 100% zero-emission vehicles by 2042. California has been a pioneering force in implementing regulations aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting clean transportation. The state has embraced various initiatives and regulations to incentivize the adoption of clean and zero-emission vehicles, with CARB playing a significant role in their implementation and enforcement.
Presently, haulers are racing against the clock to find viable solutions to meet this ambitious goal, while grappling with the scarcity of lithium and a lackluster number of manufacturers in the market. The approved timeline in April stipulates that waste fleets currently utilizing natural gas must transition to being 10% zero-emission by 2030.
Two years ago, California lawmakers quietly passed a complex energy bill that transformed how residents are billed for electricity.