TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

Please find the attached comments from the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents 99% of cars and light trucks sold in the U.S., tier-one original equipment suppliers, as well as technology and other automotive-related companies.

In summary, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation recommends that in order to accomplish the goals of the TCI, the program should:
• Establish consistent policies across regional and state lines
• Reduce the carbon intensity of liquid fuels
• Reduce the cost barrier with vehicle incentives for electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles
• Build out electric vehicle charging and hydrogen fueling infrastructure

Thank you for providing the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission and Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization with the opportunity to comment on the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) Draft Memorandum of Understanding, and thank you for your continued leadership towards the development of a robust and equitable regional clean transportation policy. Please see attached for our comments on the MOU.

The TCI is a critical initiative that will demonstrate the regional leadership we need to actually tackle the climate crisis. I'm a student, and increasingly growing frustrated with government inaction or moderation. The TCI is the first step, and it needs both complimentary legislation and language that will support low income residents who may be affected by the TCI. Attached is a joint letter by orgs in Vermont that demonstrate the urgency of this bill.

Thanks!

I have attached joint comments on the Transportation and Climate Initiative Draft MOU from U.S. PIRG, Environment America, and their state affiliates in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic region.

The Sierra Club is sharing the attached 547 comments from our members and supporters in Virginia supporting finalizing the Draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI). Thank you for helping to design a regional policy to limit climate pollution from motor fuels and invest in a modern, clean, transportation future. The evidence is clear: the more we limit pollution from motor fuels, the more jobs are created, the more the economy grows, and the more lives we save. Please sign on to the agreement to implement a strong, equitable regional climate protection policy through TCI. Invest in the communities that have suffered the most from burning gasoline and have the least access to clean transportation options. Stop sending our hard-earned dollars out of the state to oil companies, and choose to create jobs, grow the economy, and save lives for families and businesses. Thank you.

The Sierra Club is sharing the attached 487 comments from our members and supporters in Pennsylvania supporting finalizing the Draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI). Thank you for helping to design a regional policy to limit climate pollution from motor fuels and invest in a modern, clean, transportation future. The evidence is clear: the more we limit pollution from motor fuels, the more jobs are created, the more the economy grows, and the more lives we save. Please sign on to the agreement to implement a strong, equitable regional climate protection policy through TCI. Invest in the communities that have suffered the most from burning gasoline and have the least access to clean transportation options. Stop sending our hard-earned dollars out of the state to oil companies, and choose to create jobs, grow the economy, and save lives for families and businesses. Thank you.

The Sierra Club is sharing the attached 631 comments from our members and supporters in New Jersey supporting finalizing the Draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI). Thank you for helping to design a regional policy to limit climate pollution from motor fuels and invest in a modern, clean, transportation future. The evidence is clear: the more we limit pollution from motor fuels, the more jobs are created, the more the economy grows, and the more lives we save. Please sign on to the agreement to implement a strong, equitable regional climate protection policy through TCI. Invest in the communities that have suffered the most from burning gasoline and have the least access to clean transportation options. Stop sending our hard-earned dollars out of the state to oil companies, and choose to create jobs, grow the economy, and save lives for families and businesses. Thank you.

We encourage the Transportation and Climate Initiative to consider advanced diesel technologies and biofuels as a partner to achieve greenhouse gas emission reductions throughout the region. While transportation is the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions, commercial vehicles account for 23 percent of all transportation related emissions. Advanced diesel technology available today is already achieving emission reductions and further refinements in diesel powered medium and heavy duty trucks and biofuels will continue to drive down emissions in the short term. These benefits are achieved at minimum cost.

Today, 98% of large commercial trucks are powered by diesel technology. We are already one year past the final phase in year for the first ever greenhouse gas reduction regulation for commercial vehicles. Between 2014 and 2017, U.S. EPA estimates that technologies designed to make fuel sipping diesel trucks sip even less fuel will reduce GHG emissions by 270 million tons. These are benefits derived from diesel technology readily available today. The second phase of these greenhouse gas reduction regulations for commercial vehicles will kick-in in 2021. U.S. EPA estimates that technology to meet these rules will save 1 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions. A variety of analyses indicate that, while a variety of emerging technologies will be available, diesel technology will still dominate the commercial truck fleet during this time.

Even greater advances are being made in biofuels. Both biodiesel and renewable diesel fuel are considered advanced biofuels by the U.S. EPA that are capable of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50%. Renewable diesel fuel may be used as a replacement to petroleum diesel fuel and reduces the carbon intensity by 86%. In California, the largest source of greenhouse gas emission reductions from the transportation sector has been attributable to the use of biofuels. Since 2011, the use of biodiesel and renewable diesel fuel has eliminated 14 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions while the use of battery-electric vehicles has only reduced emission by 3 million tons.

Relative to zero emission vehicles, the use of advanced biofuels are very cost effective solutions to achieve significant immediate term benefits. The use of these fuels does not require the purchase of a new fleet of expensive vehicles or even the buildout of new fueling infrastructure. Large fleets in the region plan to incorporate more of these carbon cutting fuels into the their fleet soon.

We encourage the Transportation and Climate Initiative to consider the benefit to the region from a higher adoption of advanced diesel technologies including biodiesel and renewable diesel fuel.

Thank you for your consideration of this comment.