Even though, if we want to get technical, you admitted California doesn’t actually have that power?If you want to get technical, there isn't one. I don't know the exact date this started, but it appears to be a part of the clean air act dating back to the 70's. California alone, no other state, is allowed to set their own emissions standards, provided it at least meets the federal rules. The kicker is other states are allowed to "adopt" these strict rules. In reality, California being such a big state has an ungodly amount of pull on the market, specifically cars, and we all have to pay for it.
I'm not against stricter emissions, I'm against a single state having that much power over everyone else. All these crazy dates being thrown around for electric cars being mandatory. That's California.