Proposals to have Minnesota follow California with the adoption of clean car standards appear to be sputtering at the Capitol in the face of resistance from the auto and ethanol industries.

The bills, which have had hearings in the House and Senate, aim to duplicate rules that require car and light-truck manufacturers to produce vehicles that cut emissions contributing to global warming by 30 percent by 2016. They had some momentum out of the gate.

In February, a group appointed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty recommended adopting the California standards over weaker federal requirements as a way to push Minnesota toward its own greenhouse gas reduction goals. And last year, Attorney General Lori Swanson joined a court challenge of the Environmental Protection Agency’s controversial decision to bar California from implementing its standards.

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