FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 23, 2020
Contacts
Save the Sound: Melissa Schlag, mschlag@savethesound.org
Sierra Club: Samantha Dynowski, samantha.dynowski@sierraclub.org
Final Electric Vehicle Roadmap released, Electric Vehicle Coalition weighs in
Coalition of clean energy advocates, businesses, labor, and environmental justice groups respond to final EV Roadmap
HARTFORD, CONN. – The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) released Connecticut’s first Electric Vehicle Roadmap on Tuesday, the eve of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.
Adoption of electric vehicles in Connecticut is a critical climate mitigation strategy that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. The Governor’s Council on Climate Change (GC3) analysis projected that meeting the greenhouse gas emission reduction targets mandated by Connecticut’s Global Warming Solutions Act will depend on converting 20 percent of the statewide light-duty fleet, or 500,000 vehicles, to EVs by 2030. Reducing pollution from the state’s transportation sector is also a critical public health issue. As noted in the American Lung Association’s most recent “State of the Air Report,” every county in the state received a failing grade for ground-level ozone pollution, which can trigger asthma attacks in adults and children and exacerbate other respiratory ailments.
The Connecticut Electric Vehicle Coalition applauds DEEP for recognizing the importance of this issue, and taking steps with the EV Roadmap to move towards an electrified transportation sector with actionable items for the legislature, DEEP, the Public Utility Regulatory Authority, and the Department of Administrative Services.
The CT EV Coalition calls for the swift adoption, scaling-up, and implementation of four strategies identified in the Roadmap:
- Increase Funding for Rebates – The most effective strategy to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles is rebates, described as “essential” in the Roadmap. The CT EV Coalition urges the CHEAPR board to provide rebates for full electric vehicles at levels sufficient to support the state’s 2025 and 2030 deployment targets. Rebates under the state’s CHEAPR program were recently reduced to levels that will not support Connecticut’s EV goal, and this must be remedied.
- 100% ZEV State Fleet – Recognizing the many economic and educational benefits of increasing the use of EV’s by state agencies, the State of Connecticut should lead by example and purchase only zero emission light duty vehicles from this point forward. Exceptions should only be made for vehicles that do not have a zero emission alternative that satisfies the necessary performance requirements.
- Electric Vehicle Charging – The Roadmap identifies EV charging infrastructure as a priority, and the CT EV Coalition urges adoption of state-wide EV-ready building codes that will support at-home and public destination charging as part of a robust private and public charging infrastructure that encourages and supports wide-scale EV adoption.
- Transportation and Climate Initiative – In 2020, Connecticut should join with other states and adopt TCI, a regional program to cap transportation pollution and invest in clean alternatives including electric vehicles. Adoption of TCI is essential to ensuring adequate investment in our clean transportation infrastructure and addressing the needs of low-income and environmental justice communities by providing support for the electrification and expansion of public transit and increasing accessibility to clean transportation in the state’s urban and rural areas.
Implementation of these four high-impact strategies in 2020, combined with robust outreach and education efforts in collaboration with community partners, will accelerate the necessary adoption of electric vehicles in Connecticut.
The Electric Vehicle Roadmap is one of many recommendations from Connecticut’s Comprehensive Energy Strategy. The current Strategy, issued in February 2018, directed DEEP to develop a multifaceted plan that identifies policies, programs, and strategies that Connecticut should pursue to optimize deployment of electric vehicles and associated infrastructure. Information about the Roadmap process is available on DEEP’s website.
The Connecticut Electric Vehicle Coalition, a diverse group of clean energy advocates, business groups, organized labor, and environmental justice groups, is focused on electric vehicle policies and creating a more strategic and ambitious strategy on zero emission vehicle deployment. These strategies will help tackle climate change, improve the state’s public health and air quality, and create economic development opportunities. The Coalition has been actively participating in the Roadmap process through formal comments and public input sessions.
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