New State Effort to Ramp Up Electric Vehicle Usage New Jersey Spotlight, September 30, 2019. “The state is moving to tackle one of its toughest climate action goals: putting 330,000 electric vehicles on the road in New Jersey in less than six years. In a step toward achieving that goal, the state Board of Public Utilities wants to hire a consultant to administer a program to jump-start New Jersey’s efforts to electrify the transportation sector, which now accounts for 46% of emissions contributing to global warming. The BPU started the process Friday, September 27, a move clean-energy advocates hope will revive the state’s push to transition to cleaner vehicles on New Jersey roads. New Jersey and other Northeastern states made the commitment to comply with California’s zero emission vehicle program.”

Hearing exposes tensions over climate policy pace Statehouse News, Boston in The Herald News, Fall River, Massachusetts, September 23, 2019. “The update came during a tense hearing where Sen. Michael Barrett, of Lexington, complained about the administration’s “infatuation with planning” and Sen. Marc Pacheco urged Gov. Charlie Baker to use his position to push for more aggressive climate action.  The criticism had less to do with the Transportation Climate Initiative and more to do with the frustration felt by leading climate activists and legislators with the pace of activity on Beacon Hill. Earlier in the day, Pacheco gave a speech on the floor of the Senate warning about the dangers of waiting too long to set more aggressive state emission reduction goals.  Theoharides, who was appointed by Gov. Charlie Baker in April, is helping to lead a 12-state effort to develop a regional “cap-and-invest” program similar to the one Massachusetts and other states on the East Coast developed to curb power plant emissions.  The goal of the so-called Transportation Climate Initiative is to cap emissions from vehicles and other transportation sources, and use the money derived from the sale of credits for excess emissions to invest in low-carbon transportation infrastructure.”

Smart transportation can clean air, cut health costs, shorten commutes The Day, New London CT (Opinions), September 15, 2019. “As we leave behind the summer fun, send the kids back to school and return to our daily commutes, transportation challenges are front and center. In Connecticut, the core problems of aging infrastructure and congested roads are compounded by air pollution from growing vehicle emissions… Acadia Center just released a new analysis detailing the potential economic benefits of a TCI program. The report shows that by capping transportation carbon dioxide emissions, auctioning allowances, and investing proceeds — much like Connecticut already does for power plants emissions — the state could generate $2.7 billion in auction proceeds between 2021 and 2030. Acadia Center’s analysis further shows that investing these funds across the state’s transportation system would generate: 23,000 long-term jobs; $2.2 billion in new wages; $7 billion in new business sales; and $4.3 billion in other benefits, including reduced air pollution.”

Cap and trade for transportation must consider environmental justice, advocates say Energy News Network, September 6, 2019. “As Northeastern and mid-Atlantic states develop a regional plan to reduce transportation emissions, environmental justice advocates want to ensure the process and results are fair for low-income and minority communities. “'The states have been making a more conscious effort to ensure that equity is a central part of the conversation,” said Bruce Ho, senior advocate in the climate and clean energy program at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “There’s been a tremendous amount of pressure from stakeholders to make sure that’s the case.'”