TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

More highways, more cars, trucks and pollution. It's not worth the cost. We could and should be way ahead with rail infrastructure. We have thousands of young men and women ready and willing to go to work to make this a reality and a country ready for future change.

We need to create a new mode of transportation, one that is as low as possible in carbon emissions. Some examples are electric cars, electric trains and buses, bicycles, and even scooters. In order to do this, we will have to enact regulations and laws, provide incentives through rebates, taxes, grants, etc., and develop new infrastructures, such as charging stations, bike/scooter paths, and rails/stations. If we fail to do this, our planet is destined to become much more difficult to live in and we will be spending far more money just to survive than we would have had we developed new modes of transportation.

Maine needs an ambitious plan to reduce climate-changing transportation pollution,. Working together with neighboring states makes sense.
Maine can see significant economic, health, and environmental benefits by transitioning to cleaner and more efficient transportation options through adoption of TCI.

Maine is a largely rural state and we must travel for work and every thing we need. Mills has state paid transportation 24/7 and armed security. She needs to work FOR the citizens of Maine, not against us.

Washington Gas, which has about 765 vehicles in its fleet, supports the growth and development of − and transition to − low-carbon transportation fuels, including geologic and renewable natural gas (RNG).

There are several factors that motivate the company’s support. For one, medium and heavy-duty vehicles contribute a disproportionate amount of pollution in urban areas throughout the country, and in many cases are the most significant contributors to ozone pollution and smog. (footnote 1) This is not because cleaner technology does not exist, but rather because cleaner technology is not being deployed in effective numbers.

Converting medium and heavy-duty vehicles to natural gas can bend the emissions curve immediately, providing a ready-now, proven and highly cost-effective solution for a low-carbon transportation future. Compared to diesel, for example, natural gas engines fueled with geologic natural gas reduce CO2 and GHG emissions by at least 12%. (footnote 2)

When fueled by RNG, CO2 and GHG emissions can be reduced by up to 331%. (footnote 2)

Cap-and-invest program resources invested in natural gas technologies would significantly and immediately benefit all communities by maximizing the displacement of older, higher emitting medium and heavy-duty vehicles.

Washington Gas knows firsthand the value of NGV in its ongoing commitment to implementing sustainable business practices in how it manages its own operations, and that includes adopting NGV for its fleet.

In fact, in 2011, four years prior to the Paris Agreement, Washington Gas set 2020 targets for GHG reductions for its fleet and facilities, and to lower the carbon intensity of the gas it delivers. The company exceeded those goals in 2016. Washington Gas then announced new, updated targets for 2025, including carbon neutrality for its fleet and facilities by 2025.

Currently, the company has 289 NGVs, which equates to 38% of its current fleet. By adding dedicated Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and bi-fuel CNG vehicles to the fleet, and by taking active measures to manage fleet emissions, Washington Gas has significantly reduced the annual per vehicle emissions intensity for its fleet.

Washington Gas also monitors liquid fuel usage in bi-fuel vehicles to ensure drivers are utilizing CNG as their primary fuel source, and it monitors the liquid fuel gallons that are displaced by CNG usage each year. The company has seen an increase in this displacement as its CNG fleet has grown and CNG fuel usage awareness has gained traction throughout the company.

1 https://www.ngvamerica.org/environment.
2 Dependent upon RNG source. Reductions of 45% up to 331% compared to diesel; values based on CARB LCFS program data under CA-GREET 3.0.

Thank you for working on this important issue of reducing carbon dioxide equivalent and other pollution from the transportation section. I hope that the policy will have a pollution price high enough to effectively reduce the emissions needed according to the latest science --- that is, 50% reduction by 2030 and net zero by 2050.

Please ensure that this policy has a strong component of social equity and doesn't hurt rural or low/moderate income people and those same populations have equal access to transport and EVs as anyone else.
I am appreciative that this can be a model for the rest of the country if done correctly. Moreover, it can show bipartisan support for strong action on climate pollutants and can usher the changes in the transportation sector that is so urgently needed. For further information on what states can do, please visit
Legal Pathways to Deep Decarbonization by Michael Gerrard and John Dernbach, editors:
https://biotech.law.lsu.edu/blog/deep_decarb_summary_booklet_online.pdf

Attempting to limit fuel sales will have a disproportionate impact on poor to low income working families and retirees on fixed inncomes. They are the ones living paycheck to paycheck with barely enough money to pay their bills. There will be very little environmental benefit from the proposed actions as India and China are building coal fired power plants throughout east Asia at a pace that will wipe out any reduction in carbon emissions resulting from the reduction in fuel consumption. Thus, this proposed program is nothing more than a "feel good" initiative that will do irreparable harm to good hard working Americans for temporary benefit at best.

STOP! Enough already!
There are already too many taxes, and fees in this state. These inflated taxes are driving people out of this state.( if we can afford the gas to get out) TCI is just another BS tax that you're trying to sneak by. Need more money, try reducing your bloated salaries, and pensions!