TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

The climate crisis makes the need for more thoughtful and inciteful planning for the future of our region. Rising seas will be greatly impact the future of our most important cities. Everything within our power must be done to reduce carbon emissions now. In order to maintain the viability of the region mass transit and EV cars and busses must be at the center of planning now for the future change coming at us more quickly than many can imagine!

Please join the TCI!!! Not doing so would be negligent, and a disservice to youth.
Thank you,
Alan Coulter

I understand that you want to cut GHG emissions, but TCI is not the way to do it. The TCI gas tax will mean less money in the taxpayer's pocket and an even higher cost of living, when we are already near the highest in the nation. And all of this to mere negligible effects on the environment. I'm asking you to please reject the Transportation and Climate Initiative and keep Massachusetts out!

I own a working apple orchard in Easthampton, Massachusetts. From the orchard I can see the single driver automobiles creep back over Mt Tom every night by the hundreds. Each of the gas powered cars are creating greenhouse gases. Each car commuting to Hartford, CT and back creates more carbon emissions in a year than our entire orchard creates yearly. The TCI will do more for our future than I can working every day as a farmer to growing healthy food.

Car and truck emissions are a significant part of our greenhouse gas problem. I am very grateful that a group of states are choosing to work together to cap these emissions through the TCI. I support Massachusetts joining the TCI even if that means higher gas prices. I also support equitable clauses that address challenged communities that need help in the transition to cleaner energy. I suspect that many of these communities will also see help in terms of cleaner air and better transportation options as money is funneled back into creating a clean and efficient transportation system. We need strong caps on emissions and well-thought out reinvestment.

Please make the TCI the best it can be. It is legislation we needed a long time ago and we have a lot of catching up to do.

Thanks,
Alane Hartley
Park Hill Orchard

It is not right to try to Push this Gas Tax without the Peoples Vote

Our current self-induced climate crisis demands we begin implementing every tool at our disposal to mitigate the worst effects of it. One such tool of many is to reimagine our transportation system on every level, from curbing current emissions and introducing more emission-free vehicles to utilizing more mass transit and encouraging alternative modes such as biking and walking by designing pedestrian friendly routes. Please do all you can to move our society toward more climate friendly means of getting around! Thank you.

Hello,

I'm listening to the 5/23 webinar, and mostly watching the TCI process somewhat from the periphery. Here are my comments and my interest.

Comments:
I support how the analysis of baseline transportation looked at EIA's NEM as well as other sources. My impression is that EIA's predictions have been very poor, missing some big trends, especially longer-term trends, like growth of renewable energy.
Given my interest in heavy-duty fleets (see below), I look forward to hearing more about something other than EVs, and how those non-EV options would be monetized in TCI. Looking at modeling done for Vermont's Comprehensive Energy Plan, climate goals are reached with biofuels, not just electrification. I assume that GHG emissions from heavy-duty and medium-duty fleets are non-trivial in the Northeast, and electrification in these fleets seems immature compared to passenger EVs and light-duty EVs. What can you do to model this the medium-duty and heavy-duty sector?? E.g. what are the recent history and trends for natural gas and RNG, in usage and in which types of vehicles? I assume DOE's AFDC has the data.

My Interest:
Being in the agricultural sector, and with Vermont's biogas potential from dairy manure, I am intent on getting RNG produced and used as a way to support farms and offset GHG emissions. The Agency of Agriculture and others will analyze the statewide potential, using existing digesters, which process only 10% of Vermont's dairy manure, and new digesters. Back of the envelope, I estimate 500-1000 Class 8 trucks could be operated on RNG from Vermont's dairy manure.
Please remember that the global warming potential of methane is ~25x of CO2 in the 100-year time frame, but it is ~85x CO2 in the 25-year timeframe. Used in transportation, RNG from dairy manure is strongly carbon-negative: -276 gCO2e per MJ. Electricity is 20-40 gCO2e/MJ (see slides 7-9 of the attached presentation).

I'm glad to discuss as necessary.

I appreciate the opportunity, thank you.

Alex

Attached please find the joint comments of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture and the Vermont Clean Cities Coalition (https://vtccc.w3.uvm.edu/).
These comments were developed in coordination and consultation with Vermont Fuel Dealers Association, Dairy Farmers of America, Agrimark Coop, Vermont Department of Public Service, and Energy Vision. We have also shared a draft with the Agency of Natural Resources, and had the benefit of their assistance to understand how the eventual rules might work.