TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

Greetings, as a citizen who is concerned with the local and global environment, I am writing to support the Transportation Climate Initiative. Just in the last week, I've seen news articles that even major banks are realizing the importance of the climate crisis and abandoning the big oil companies. The time is now for Maryland and other states to embrace the new economy and support a healthy environment for the regions citizens. We can be a leader for other states and regions through an exciting new and sustainable economy (the green economy is the future) that is putting the health and future of all at the forefront. Let's not be left behind--we can be a leader. Global warming will decimate our shorelines, threaten our cities and economy, destabilize predictable climate and weather patterns that agriculture relies on, make conditions more favorable for novel viruses, and harm beneficial wildlife--plants, insects, and animals of which are the basis for our survival.

Dear Governor Scott -
I strongly urge you to add Vermont to the TCI.
You have seen the analysis that monetarily Vermont stands to gain more than it will lose. These are compelling, and perhaps, motivation enough. But fundamentally, this TCI approach is the first truly credible, regional approach to bending the curve on emissions - and it is long past time that something like this be done. The ONLY thing that truly affects behavior across the whole population is the relative cost. Gas is at historically low prices right now, as a result of the fact that we do not include the external costs - to the environment, and society - in what people pay at the pump. Only if we start to make it that those external costs are included, will people have the incentive to change. I just so remember my friend Mike the logger, a classic practical Vermonter if ever there there was one, who talked about when gas prices spiked over $4/gal a few years ago. He said, you know, that got my attention. Used to be I'd think nothing of driving the 2500 down to the store to get a gallon of milk. So when gas got pricey, I planned my trips. Now it's cheap again, and I've forgotten...make it cost more again, and I'll be thoughtful. Vermonters who drive long distances to work ARE thoughtful, they are resourceful, and they know, deep down, this is something we have to do. There will be a long phase in of these changes. People will have time to adjust. I strongly urge you to take this step now.

Reducing pollution from transportation is a key component to reducing New Jersey's emissions. Public transit investments that could be made with TCI proceeds would be valuable. Leaders need to choose the aggressive greenhouse gas reduction target that the most recent climate science tells us we need!
Please prioritize clean investments in areas overburdened by pollution and/or for those who don’t have access to transportation choices!

I'm in support of the Transportation and Climate Initiative to provide cleaner transportation that I believe is necessary to address the issue of climate change.

Governor Lamont,
Thank you for boldly asking CT to focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Because transportation is our states' single largest source of these emissions, I hope you will support the Transportation & Climate Initiative. My family lives near the intersection of I-91 and Route 9, so we shouldn't have been surprised when our daughter developed asthma as a teen. But we were. And recent climate change reports have been eye opening. That's why I've attended TCI forums to learn more about the initiative. All I can say is that I'm impressed by their work to create a clean, equitable transportation system here in the Northeast. I hope you'll sign on to the TCI for the good of our people, businesses, infrastructure, and environment. Thank you.

Maryland should make a make a firm commitment to adopt a regional transportation policy that achieves a minimum 40 percent reduction in transportation sector climate pollution by 2030, to keep us on track to meet the climate goals updated by the General Assembly.

As a city energy committee volunteer and concerned citizen, I urge Vermont leaders to join the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) instead of falling victim to short-term thinking. Regarding the latter, I respect those who fear any initiative that could potentially increase the daily expenses of people who are already finding it hard to make ends meet. However, if we don’t fervently harness the state government to explore opportunities--such as TCI--to address the climate crisis, people with fewer resources will be the primary victims of the resulting economic, health and safety-related suffering over the medium- to long-term timeframe.

Joining TCI will enable Vermont officials to continue to help design the program in a way that can potentially minimize the short-term effects on people with low incomes by, for example, making sure that the subsequent investments made possible by the logic-based carbon-related revenue are sound.

TCI is the single most important climate policy that Vermont can support in 2020 to help address Vermont’s largest source of climate pollution, i.e., transportation-related emissions. In addition to building upon the success of RGGI (Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative), which was joined by Republican Governor Douglas, the collaborative TCI effort would align with Governor Scott's previously stated desire of not having Vermont act alone on climate issues.

Given that Vermont’s current climate-crisis-related plans, though positive, aren’t significant enough to address the scope of the climate problem, it is crucial that Vermont participate in the next phase of TCI and work collaboratively to harness the power inherent in this regional effort.

I’m a young person. I’m afraid of climate change. It’s time to do something.

The Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI) is Vermont’s chance to do just that: take a meaningful stance against climate change. It is great to see that Green Mountain Power will have 100% renewable energy in the next decade. This, in and of itself, however, is not enough. According to the TCI webinar hosted on December 17, 2019, 43% of the carbon dioxide emissions from the TCI region come from transportation. That is almost twice as much as from electrical power. Most Vermonters cannot afford an electric car, with or without subsidies from the government. That means the 43% of our emissions that come from transportation will continue to be emitted even if we have a carbon-free electrical grid.

But TCI is more than just a way to do something. It has the potential to be an effective policy. As per the executive summary, the TCI locks us into making a significant reduction in emissions. While these reduction goals are theoretically feasible without TCI, the initiative would eliminate any uncertainty. Given the volatility in our federal government, it is important that Vermont takes a stand and does not rely on federal policy to make these changes.

Additionally, by entering into TCI with an entire region of states, Vermont significantly reduces the potential for a harm to the economy. Look no further than the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) a similar cap-and-trade program which Vermont is already involved in. RGGI has already contributed 44,700 years of additional full-time employment, $5.7 billion in public health benefits, and saved customers a combined $773 million in energy bills, according to a report by economists at Analysis Group. RGGI, however, does not cover the emissions from transportation. As mentioned above, 43% of carbon emissions in the region come from transportation, making TCI an effective plan to address emissions not captured by RGGI.

As per the TCI Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the program will invest its proceeds into a variety of programs such as “air quality, public health, resilience, and more affordable access to clean transportation alternatives.” Investments in these sectors all have the potential to positively impact the community and economy. Pollution from cars can contribute to asthma attacks and other health issues. Healthier people have lower medical bills and miss fewer workdays, which can help bolster Vermont’s economy.

All of this is not to say that TCI is perfect. There is a completely valid fear that gas companies will simply offload the increased cost of operation onto the consumers. The MOU mentions the importance of ensuring that the program benefits those who “disproportionately bear the costs of the current transportation system” or “impacts of vehicular pollution and climate change.” Still, without more concrete plans for benefitting these communities, I fear that TCI will only be an additional burden on those who are already struggling with climate change. As such, when Vermont agrees to sign on to TCI, it is critical to have a robust plan to help these communities, including provisions such as rebates and investments in public services. There are ways to make sure that TCI is equitable and given that equity is a listed priority (3b) of the MOU, I do not think fear of increased gas prices should be an impediment to joining TCI.

Like many of my peers at Middlebury College, I was drawn to Vermont for its beautiful scenery and landscape. Climate change has the potential to change our state forever through warmer weather and increased flooding. I hope that when I have children, they will have the opportunity to see Vermont as I see it: vibrant and full of natural beauty. TCI is Vermont’s chance to act on climate before it’s too late, protecting our state for the next generation.

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