Maricopa County companies that switch to vehicles with lower emissions could get credits

The Environmental Protection Agency plans to give Maricopa County permission to try out a new program to improve air quality.

The Maricopa County Air Quality Department’s new program, known as Rule 205, will incentivize large companies to replace diesel-powered vehicles with electric or cleaner-burning models by offering them Mobile Emissions Reduction Credits.

“They can use it for future use in case they want to expand, meaning their emissions would become greater, or they can bank these credits and sell them to other companies,” said Maricopa County Air Quality Department spokesperson Ari Halpert.

Maricopa County currently exceeds EPA pollution limits for ozone, a harmful pollutant worsened by vehicle emissions, hot weather and sunlight. That non-attainment status can come with restrictions on businesses, Halpert said.

“Giving businesses this option is a way to minimize that impact by giving them ways to offset their emissions,” Halpert said.

The EPA has proposed conditional approval for the Mobile Emissions Reduction Credit plan. Following conditional approval, the Maricopa County Air Quality Department will have a year to make any adjustments to the program that the EPA recommends. Final approval will come after a year of review.