The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, finalized new greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and trucks produced through model year 2026 on Monday, a move that will cut carbon emissions and air pollution and lay some of the groundwork for a transition to electric vehicles.

The new standards arrive on the heels of West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin’s announcement over the weekend that he will not support the Build Back Better Act. The Act contains approximately $550 billion in clean energy investments, including tax credits for electric vehicles, but cannot pass without Manchin’s vote. Without it, the EPA greenhouse gas regulations are one of the most important tools Biden has left to cut emissions.

Transportation is the largest source of emissions in the country, accounting for 29 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, with passenger cars and trucks emitting about 58 percent of that. The EPA’s clean car standards require automakers to cut their average emissions across their light-duty fleets with each new model year by improving vehicle efficiency and adopting new technologies. To comply they might make lighter vehicles, use smaller engines, or increase production of hybrid and electric vehicles.

The agency says the new standards will prevent 3 billion tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere over the next 30 years and will reduce gasoline consumption by 360 billion gallons. By reducing the amount of fuel burned, the standards will also lower emissions of other pollutants that harm public health, like microscopic particle pollution and nitrous oxides. The EPA expects the standards to generate $190 billion in benefits for Americans by improving public health, saving drivers money at the pump, and lessening the potential impacts of climate change.

Read the full article about new auto emissions standards by Emily Pontecorvo at Grist.