EPA, Pruitt announce rollback of Obama-era fuel standards, setting up another battle with California

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt laid out plans on Tuesday to roll back Obama-era fuel standards in a move seen as a win for automakers, but one that is likely to ignite a major political and legal battle with the nation’s most populous state.

“These standards that were set were inappropriate and need to be revised,” Pruitt said during a speech at the EPA in Washington D.C., adding that the rules are too expensive and hurt car buyers by making vehicles costlier.

“The focus should be on making cars that people actually buy and that are efficient,” he said.

Pruitt’s decision to rewrite the nation’s first carbon limits on automobiles, which requires cars and light trucks sold in the United States to average more than 50 miles per gallon by 2025, reflects both the power of the country’s automakers and the Trump administration’s determination to jump start the car industry.

The move, however, once again pits the Trump administration against the state of California.

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