TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

Please support TCI for environmental, social and economic benefit of Vermonters, the land and beyond.

The Vermont government has been woefully inadequate in its actions to address climate change. We pride ourselves on being progressive and forward-thinking, but in truth we have made almost no progress whatsoever in addressing global warming over the last 20 years. This is shameful.

I am the Energy and Facilities Manager for Lebanon, NH. I live in and serve the Hartland, VT Energy Committee, and for 14 years served on the Brattleboro Energy Committee. I have been an active member of the VT Energy and Climate Action Network for 15 years, and have been working on energy and climate issues since undergraduate and graduate engineering school. The opportunities that we have lost through inaction are astounding, and future generations will damn us for it.

Vermont is a rural state, with many poor, working people. Reducing our transportation emissions is a huge challenge. Tremendous innovation and creativity will be needed, as well as lifestyle changes. Why is it that when America goes to war people are asked to make sacrifices, but never in the name of saving the planet? We might be a rural state, but that is no excuse for expecting people to rely solely on personal vehicles, which are costly to operate and have limitations for many, in addition to being high polluters. I have lived in Mexico, and done it without a car. Why is 3rd world Mexico so much more advanced than America in its public transportation? It is because they dedicate the resources to provide good public transportation. TCI has the potential to direct resources to alternative transportation systems and infrastructure, which would lower people's living expenses and reduce our greenhouse gasses.

TCI provides the opportunity to tackle the biggest problem of our day — climate change — by reducing emissions in our state’s most carbon-intensive sector, while diverting funds into much-needed transportation infrastructure that will benefit all.

We can either seize this opportunity to make monumental progress and have a chance to prosper in a clean energy future, or accept a status quo that is only becoming more and more difficult for Vermonters and more harmful to our environment.

I urge Vermont to formally join TCI in order to do our part to save our habitable planet for future generations.

Thank you for the work you have done to advance the TCI.

TCI offers Vermont an opportunity to make serious progress in addressing the environmental damage caused by fossil fuels, not by going it alone, but by joining with northeastern states that represent nearly 1/4 of the US economy. Set up like the highly successful Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, it will provide revenue which can be used to fund greenhouse gas reducing measures in a way that strengthens our economy. I urge the governor to align Vermont with this important regional initiative.

I support the TCI.
Vermonters will likely pay TCI’s compliance costs whether Gov. Scott joins the program or not, because Vermont imports 100% of its fossil fuels from other states, and many of those states will join TCI and pass on their costs to consumers further down the distribution chain. Because 20-25% of the fossil fuels sold in Vermont are sold to out-of-state travelers and TCI proceeds will be distributed based on fuel sales within each jurisdiction, Vermont will receive back more in revenues than Vermonters contribute. Since Vermonters will pay for TCI’s costs whether or not we join, we should opt in and receive back more than we contribute.
TCI’s first-decade regional benefits include:
· Increases in gross domestic product (GDP), disposable personal income (DPI) and employment;
· Public health benefits from cleaner air valued at $3 billion - $10 billion; and
· A 20-25% reduction in greenhouse gas pollution from cars and trucks.
The Vermont-specific benefits include:
· $18 to $80 million in annual revenues to invest in low-carbon transportation options;
· More money from the program each year than Vermonters contribute; and
· The opportunity to make the state more affordable for low-income and rural Vermonters by lessening dependence on imported, polluting and expensive fossil fuels.
We need to act on climate change now. TCI is a good start.

I do not want this TCI initiative to go forward. It is a bunch of hoopla dreamed up by people who have nothing better to do. I grew up in a very conservative household and learned at a very young age to be very careful about wasting time, money and materials. I drive a hybrid car and have since their inception as I thought it was a great idea and wanted to support it. I compost what I can and recycle all that is recyclable. I don't need you to make laws to force me to do things I already do.

Please support this iniciative. It is a step in the right direction, and will benefit us all.

I support the TCI but would suggest a few modifications/enhancements:
1. Do not exclude non-fossil fuels from the cap. Ethanol and biodiesel have a large CO2 production component from fossil fuels.
2. It is important to let the public know how the revenue will be used to be able to sell the TCI. The revenue should not be used only for changing our transportation modes. More CO2 reduction may be possible by supporting buttoning up lower income resident's houses for example.

It is clear that Vermont has not and can not reduce transportation related fossil fuel use to meet our emissions reduction goals without a significant new tool to help drive down fuel use and help our conversion to electric vehicles. Without this initiative we will have no monetary incentive for users to cut fuel use and little money to incentivize the conversion to electric cars and public transportation. Unless some other major tool is implemented we can expect conversion away from fossil fuel will occur at a glacial pace as it is now. The carbon tax may have been a useful tool but it has a low chance of passage. We should adopt this system as quickly as we can and protect those who truly can not afford the increased price of fuel.

It seems like this system can be implemented only if the Governor agrees. If that is the case, Vermont probably will not be able to take advantage of this new tool. We need to have legislative intervention to override the governor so TCI can be implemented in Vermont

Please please please join the TCI program, our economy and the health of our state depends on these important funds!