A bill introduced recently in the state Assembly makes a lot of sense – one reason its chances of becoming law rank somewhere between slim and an ice storm happening in Hades.

Assemblyman John McDonald recently introduced legislation (A.8524) that would postpone the implementation and enforcement of the state’s ACC II regulations until Jan. 1, 2028. The zero emissions sales are supposed to include all new cars by 2035. It’s only a two-year postponement of the state’s adoption of California air quality standards that have come under increasing fire at the federal level – but McDonald deserves credit. He’s not playing politics. He’s not pandering to Republicans at the federal level. He’s simply reading the market – and the market is telling him most New York drivers want no part of electric vehicles.

“While the sponsor shares the goal of reducing emissions, these targets are misaligned with current consumer demand,” McDonald wrote in his legislative justification. “In 2024, fewer than 10% of new vehicle sales in New York were ZEVs. Expecting a 300% year-over-year increase to meet the 2026 benchmark is unrealistic, especially as federal support for EV adoption weakens.”

In our view, McDonald is right. There will likely be a time when electric vehicles take on a larger presence on our roads. That time is not 2026. That time likely won’t be 2035. The state has to begin reevaluating its clean energy goals through a more realistic lens. Electric vehicles is a good place to start. It has done so with waivers for school districts that need more time on electric school buses. Including the waivers for school districts in the state budget is an admission that the technology isn’t developed enough, or affordable enough to make a rapid transition realistic.

McDonald’s bill should be approved by the state Legislature under the same logic lawmakers used approving the waivers for schools. It’s logical. Unfortunately, state politics too often is illogical.