TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

I am newly settled in Massachusetts and both my husband and I support creative, robust activism on behalf of the climate. To that end, we will not hesitate to "put our money where our mouth is." If the cost of preserving this amazing planet is a few more pennies out of our paychecks, then I will be the first to volunteer those funds. Although I have come to realize that making changes to protect the climate cannot rest solely on government as a mechanism (and must rest more squarely on my own shoulders) I nonetheless, support all initiatives whose goal is to preserve and protect our natural world. We only have one place to call home and I want to see us all become better stewards of this incredible planet - For my children, for your children and their children. There will be no absolution for our generation if we get it wrong. We must act now.

Transportation is the largest source of air pollution in the region, and we need to build a modern, clean, safe, and accessible transportation system for the 21st century. The more we limit pollution from motor fuels, the more jobs we create, the more the economy grows, the healthier our air becomes, and the more lives we save. Maryland should join TCI to fund better transportation infrastructure, reduce traffic, and make my community a cleaner, safer place to live.
It is clear that air pollution from cars, trucks, and buses have become a huge detriment to my community’s health. Air pollution has been linked to a variety of health problems, including asthma, heart disease, and lung cancer, and the more ambitious TCI is, the more our community stands to benefit from a cleaner transportation system. I urge Governor Hogan to join TCI and push it to be as ambitious as possible, for the sake of my community’s health and livelihood.
As a person living in a rural area, I think that TCI is extremely important. When states join TCI, they have the opportunity to invest in rural communities where transportation options are limited. Joining TCI would allow Maryland to ensure that rural communities aren’t left behind in the green transition and stuck behind the wheel of costly, inefficient vehicles. Governor Hogan should push for an ambitious TCI program so that rural communities like mine get the solutions they need.

I concur with my friends who oppose any attempt at revenue increases, i.e. taxes, without MA House approval. I will let my legislators know my thoughts on this also. Furthermore, spending some time in California, with their exorbitant gas taxes, and other "penalties" for owning combustible engine vehicles, I see these moves as nothing more than crushing expenses to everyone, which particularly hit lower income more (gasoline tops $4/gallon, a very large increase vis a vis current MA gas taxes.

Tax credits, desirability for EV, and cost reductions as the market finds ways to deliver at lower costs are doing much to reduce vehicle emissions. Though it doesn't matter what taxes or carbon exchange fees you charge, the average worker can not afford an EV yet.

If you want to focus your energies, somewhere, help India, China and other fast growing economies to reduce their carbon emissions. MA is flatulence in the breeze compared to the real global polluters. or you could try the US agriculture/meat industries. And let the MA House focus on taxes.

Thank you,

Chris Grande

My name is Rick Bologna, I own and operate Westmore Fuel Co., Inc. in Greenwich, CT. We are a multi-generational family owned business that was established 81 years ago.

I currently am the Vice President and have been with Westmore Fuel Co., Inc. for the last 29 years.

I am submitting comments for you to consider as a resident and taxpayer in Connecticut to express my concern about the potential that a cap and trade program will have on our customers, employees, business and the environment.

The plan seems to be geared toward converting millions of gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs).

While EVs may be an apparently attractive way to lower emissions, we urge that greater consideration needs to be given to a number of factors that will have an impact on jobs, the economy, property values, electric reliability, emissions and family-owned businesses.

Please consider the following points and recommendations so that they can be incorporated into the final draft of the TCI:

• With the goal of putting million’s EVs on the road, TCI should have ISO New England and the other grid operators fully evaluate the impact that this would have on the electric grid. An article published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) indicates that one EV can consume as much electricity as a home does. And as noted, we need to double power generation to meet the state’s carbon goals, an unlikely feat that will result only in supply shortages. The unintended consequence of the government heedlessly jumping onto the EV bandwagon will be rolling blackouts, with power loss to critical infrastructure such as schools, businesses, emergency responders, hospitals and nursing homes.

• The ISO’s should add to their evaluation the impact of state policies promoting electric heat pumps on the electric grid, which could require an additional 17 million MWH of power annually. TCI must understand the impact that their program has on other initiatives also looking to utilize more electricity. TCI is not operating in isolation and has the responsibility not to operate in the dark either, and ensure that electric reliability is not compromised.

• Although EVs are considered a low- or zero-emission vehicles, they are only as clean as the electricity that charges them. Connecticut is heavily reliant on natural gas to generate electricity and becoming more dependent on it as nuclear generation in the region is retired. Natural gas (methane) is more than seventy times as potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, and combusting natural gas also emits carbon dioxide. According to the Department of Energy, an EV produces 4,362 lbs of CO2e per year (https://afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/electric_emissions.html)– that’s almost two tons – hardly emissions-free, and that doesn’t even consider the CO2 resulting from their manufacture. TCI needs to fully understand the lifecycle impact of EVs and the source of the fuel that electricity is being generated from before EVs are designated as “clean”. It is intellectually and environmentally dishonest to claim that electricity is clean when ISO New England today (10/29/19) reports that just 8% of electric generation is renewable and 53% is generated with natural gas. Methane’s impact on climate change is an inconvenient truth. A recent study commissioned by the Connecticut Chapter of the Sierra Club (https://issuu.com/ctsierraclub/docs/hartford__ct_mobile_methane_leak_su) found that in Hartford, CT alone, gas pipelines leak approximately 43,000 cubic feet per day, or 313 metric tons per year. That is equivalent spilling and not cleaning up 320 gallons of diesel per day (or 117,000 gallons per year). Just because you can’t see natural gas leaks, it doesn’t mean that they are not there and that they are not doing environmental damage. According to Gale Ridge, PhD, a scientist and researcher on the Sierra Club study, “In a one month period, we found about 700 leaks in Hartford. Over a one-year period covering the same area, PURA reported 139 leaks. Even recognizing that some of the leaks we found are known to PURA, that’s about a 5-fold difference. We believe that CNG may be missing a large percentage of its leaks.”


A real time solution that can be implemented immediately is the use of a low carbon renewable liquid fuel (LCRLF) such as Biodiesel. Biodiesel is blended today with traditional diesel distillate and is used for transportation and heating across the country. As the technology for this fuel advances, higher and higher blends of Biodiesel will be used and traditional diesel distillate will be phased out. By phasing over to LCRLFs, we can use the current liquid fuel transportation systems in place across the country (pipelines, barges, trucks, retail outlets, etc.). Also, US truck manufacturers already have diesel trucks that run on Biodiesel blends, so there wont be a need to convert trucks and future cars over to a new fuel. In fact, Biodiesel is the only fuel currently that can get us to carbon neutrality in the future, all of the other current forms of energy we have today, including natural gas, cannot do that. For more information on Biodiesel please see: https://www.biodiesel.org/

I ask that TCI take all of these issues into consideration before they decide to move forward.

Thank you.

Rick Bologna

These measure will make owning a car impossible for me and many of my friends, family, and fellow state citizens. These measures will bankrupt the low and middle class. Then recent findings have shown that electric vehicles cause more pollution and effect animals more than we knew. Don't damn this state and its citizens. This move will force the rich out and the poor will not be able to escape. This will destroy our state. DO NOT GO THROUGH WITH THIS!!!! LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE NOT THE MOBS!!!!

I'm a CT resident deeply concerned about climate change caused by carbon emissions and the inaction of our current federal government. That's why I feel that strong leadership must be carried out at the state and local levels; in particular, by the governors of our region.

To reduce carbon emissions to the extent necessary to avoid climate disaster, market forces will need to be harnessed to effect rapid and far-reaching change. The astounding growth of renewable energy is one example of the power of market forces to drive rapid sustainable development. By putting a price on carbon via a 'cap-and-trade' or 'cap-and-invest' program throughout the Northeast the external costs of carbon can be 'internalized' and an imperative for economic actors to move quickly towards carbon neutrality.

By joining a regional New England/Mid-Atlantic compact, CT can harness this much larger economic area as a 'force-multiplier' to drive other regions in a similar direction - if they wish to compete in our region. Similar to the power of California's market in driving auto emission reduction measures.

So I urge you to join in this promising regional initiative. I view climate change now as an existential threat on a level with nuclear proliferation, and one that will have to be addressed by leadership at the state level. As such, this is my #1 political concern as a Connecticut voter.

Many thanks for your attention to this.

James H. Whitcomb, Jr.

Dear Gov. Baker, Board, and to Everyone,
I am thrilled that you are taking steps to reduce climate change! The transportation sector plays a large role in CO2 emissions and greening it up, will be excellent for the state of Massachusetts. However, I want to encourage you to do more. While the national discourse sees climate change as an issue I see it as an opportunity. We have the opportunity to develop the state by investing in new technologies and ensuring all people can be employed and productive for years to come.
Massachusetts has always been at the forefront of innovation and we have great research institutions and initiative. I want your climate plan to be bolder, take larger steps to tackling this, because if we do, the dividends will be huge. Think: if we encourage green energy across the grid, we can develop solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, and other new technology that will be more efficient, have better storage than what is seen before. This will be implemented all across MA. It will be state born and bred, and sought out by other states or even other countries! The business ventures will be huge; oil supplies are running out and are becoming riskier to get, and this will ensure long-term growth. This growth should then be used to employ people from all sectors in MA: from engineers to design, electricians and builders to install, and marketers to show everyone how great all of this exciting innovation is.
As an engineering student, I have been told, and firmly believe, that bold innovation is what moves everything forward. Think of the industrial revolution, or even the invention of the internet. So I challenge you, Baker, to take this opportunity and allow Massachusetts to innovate its future, sustainably.

This TCI can be a good part of the many needed tools to reduce GHG emissions. The goal over ten years should be at least a 50% reduction.