The Trump administration on Thursday escalated a legal fight with California over what the state calls nation-leading vehicle-emissions standards, suing federal air regulators as part of a broader dispute over rules aimed at reducing pollution from cars. The lawsuit, filed during rising public attention to gasoline prices, challenges California’s ability to enforce its adopted standards even after federal actions blocked parts of the state’s most ambitious approach.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office criticized the move, arguing it arrives as gas prices climb amid the Iran war and as drivers weigh whether to switch to electric vehicles. In a statement, Newsom spokesperson Anthony Martinez said, “Gas prices are soaring nationwide because of Trump’s reckless choices, and now he’s attacking the Golden State for trying to give Californians more freedom and cheaper options,” according to the Associated Press.
The day’s gas prices underscored the political and consumer context, with Californians paying $5.37 a gallon on average Thursday to fill up, the American Automobile Association said. AP reported that was compared with a national average of $3.60 a gallon, and that gas prices increased about 56 cents a gallon statewide and 35 cents a gallon nationwide since last week.
Dan Farber, faculty director of the Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment at the University of California, Berkeley’s law school, said it was “ironic” that the federal lawsuit moved forward while many people were focused on fuel costs. Farber said, “It’s ironic that they’re doing this just at the time when people are most worried about gas prices,” the Associated Press reported.
The federal challenge follows a series of earlier disputes over California’s authority to set tougher emissions standards than the federal government. AP reported that after the Trump administration blocked California’s stringent electric vehicle mandates last year, the state sued, and the California Air Resources Board said previously adopted standards targeting emissions from cars that pose climate and public health risks would remain in effect even if the state’s more ambitious rules were blocked.
In its new lawsuit, the federal government argued that California lacked the authority to enforce even those less strict standards. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement that “Oppressive, expensive electric vehicle mandates drive up costs for American consumers and violate federal law,” according to AP.
California’s regulatory approach has relied on a waiver process that dates back decades. AP said California has been able to seek Environmental Protection Agency approval to adopt stricter vehicle-emissions standards than the federal government, and that other states can sign on to adopt California’s rules.
During President Donald Trump’s first term, AP reported, his administration revoked that waiver authority. Under President Joe Biden, the federal government reinstated California’s waiver authority in 2022, setting the stage for the current dispute over which standards California can enforce and how federal oversight applies.
Separately, AP reported that the Trump administration last year announced plans to weaken rules set under Biden for how far automakers’ new vehicles need to travel on a gallon of gasoline—an additional pressure point as the administration and California continue litigating over how quickly the auto industry should transition away from gasoline-powered vehicles.