TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

Maine is a state with a small population except in the summer when Maine is a tourist destination. Because Maine is a physically large state the impact of traveling distances to various tourist destinations, or simply going to work, creates a large amount of carbon emissions from cars and trucks bringing goods into the state. Maine has very little public transportation that would help move an influx of tourists and virtually no other system of transporting goods other than trucks. However, Maine is 90 percent forested and thus affords a great way to harvest carbon emissions through its forests and farmland. This way to capture carbon that is emitted here in Maine, but also in the Atlantic corridor and from the Midwest because of prevailing winds, puts Maine in an unique position to become a great asset in carbon harvesting. This concept needs to be perused as to how to effectively implement carbon harvesting. In addition, Maine has an extremely high incidence of asthma due to air pollution from the Atlantic corridor and the Midwest. The health of the people of the State of Maine should not be impacted by pollution and climate change due to carbon emissions from the above mentioned areas. It is imperative that TCI states develop a working policy that addresses the issues that the people of Maine are facing such as health issues, rising sea levels and the warming of the Gulf of Maine due to the carbon produced by cars and trucks in the Atlantic corridor and the Midwest.

The reasons are obvious: Protecting our environment and the Ecosystems that are vital to all of us. Thank you,

We must do everything possible to transition to a renewable, non-carbon future. We must develop a regional policy for low-carbon public transportation for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region, for that matter the entire country.
That being said unfortunately I am an artist living in Berkshire County on a limited income, driving a 13 year old vehicle which get about 15 MPG and cannot afford to buy a more fuel efficient model. If I could I would buy an electric plug-in vehicle but I cannot.
We are all in this together! We need a healthy climate! We need renewable energy! How can we make this work and not unduly burden those least able to afford it???!!!

I believe Vermont needs to coordinate with our neighboring states to get our emissions from transportation under control. I live on the Connecticut River. I own a car, but try to drive as little as possible. I take the Amtrak occasionally if I have business in Northern Vermont. I would take the train more often if it ran more frequently. We need more light rail in our state and in New Hampshire. Once upon a time, there were trolleys connecting small towns. Light rail could fill that same niche.
We need additional funding to provide creative non-polluting transportation initiatives tailored to the needs of small towns and rural lifestyles.

I recommend that Vermont join the Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI) that is being developed for states in this northeast region of our country.

We now know that climate emissions in Vermont have been increasing in the last two or three years despite a clear legislative and policy commitment to reduce these emissions. We also know that climate emissions from transportation account for the largest share of recent climate emission increases. We also know that transportation is an activity that may be addressed most effectively on multi-state, regional basis. And we have seen that the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative has proven to be an effective tool for reducing climate emissions from electricity generation.

I am a member of a church in South Burlington that sees the climate crisis as a moral crisis for all mankind and that we all have a responsibility to do what we can to reduce climate emissions. We have been at work for several years to walk our talk by reducing the climate emissions we contribute. Our church has with its own resources taken steps which, with help from Efficiency Vermont and Vermont Gas, enables us to reduce our carbon emissions associated with natural gas and electricity use by more than 50 percent. We want to address climate emissions from driving our personal vehicles but this requires support, just as Efficiency Vermont and Vermont Gas helped us with improving the energy performance of our church building and our individual home.

The TCI offers Vermont a potential source of revenues to support steps to reduce transportation emissions and to do so in way that will help most the people least able to afford newer, more fuel efficient, lower emission cars and trucks.

I ask that Vermont join in the emerging new TCI and to endorse actions by the TCI program that will help all Vermonters to reduce climate emissions resulting from our transportation activities.

It is now obvious that climate change is happening and causing very big impacts that include significant increases in annual rainfall in Vermont, warmer winters in Vermont which threaten the future of skiing in Vermont, accelerate the incidence of lime disease, and threaten the long term viability of our maple syrup industry. These impacts are the obvious ones that confront us in easy to observe ways. Scientists tell us that the Vermont forests, lakes, and wildlife communities are all being transformed by these changes in very negative ways.

It is also important to recognize that the TCI program can make big positive contributions to the State's economy. This has happened with energy efficiency activity, which is now a big Vermont employer, and the solar industry, which had until recently been a fast growing business in Vermont that provided jobs and produced income for Vermonters across the State. The Vermont Clean Energy Development Fund finances annual economic assessments of the clean energy sector and has with these annual studies has documented the large direct employment and income benefits of these clean energy businesses. The TCI can and should be harnessed to build upon this progress.

I urge that Vermont sign the TCI memorandum of understanding and commit the policy and program leadership needed to build an effective program. Such new programs require hard work to make them work and to avoid pitfalls. I plead for the Governor and the Legislature to do the hard work of negotiating an effective TCI program that will benefit Vermont and serve Vermont's stated commitment to achieving the Paris Climate Goals, which will benefit all mankind.

Thank you for this opportunity to comment.

Sam Swanson

While AGC/VT is interested in working towards solutions regarding our climate and environment we believe that more thought be put into this program. Specifically we oppose adding the tax to diesel fuels. We have been told that dyed diesel and diesel used in heavy equipment like excavators are not intended to fall into the TCI tax, but its not clear how it would be avoided. The diesel used by the construction industry is typically delivered in bulk and is "dyed diesel". Currently there are requirements from ANR in some cases to identify total uses of those fuels and the reason is for potential future carbon taxation according the ANRs clean air division. It is important for agencies and TCI advocates to understand that these fees/taxes will be passed on to individuals and government agencies employing services from the private sector. This will either increase costs of roads, bridges and buildings, or provide an opportunity for organizations outside of TCI districts to step in and under bid for services which could kill local economies. At the very least adding a 30 tax to diesel would result in an additional cost of approx $16.20 for a truck to run from White River to just Montpelier or $7000-10000+ per construction vehicles annual usage. These costs multiplied by the sheer volume of commercial and government work would have a major effect the state and private consumers in the multi millions. This new expense would be a heavy lift for the already challenged appropriations of our state.

If/When TCI comes to be, Vermont is expected to benefit from $30-60 million per year depending on the source I have spoken with. It is imperative that any monies gained by this transportation program have a nexus to transportation. The majority of the fuel taxes we pay already go to general fund projects while our road and bridge infrastructure continue to age and have been level funded at approximately 1/3 of VTRANS budget requests. This is an emerging crisis as the state depends of federal funds which are based on "grades" of our road maintenance. TCI funds should not go in the general fund, clean water fund or go to unfunded pension liabilities. It should stay in transportation whether it would be used to modernize our roads, or improve public transportation so more people use it.