The effort will build upon ongoing federal, state and regional collaborations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and the recently announced initiative to develop a framework for a Low Carbon Fuel Standard among many of the same Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states. In addition, the initiative will seek to coordinate with Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) partners already engaged in similar efforts in their role as metropolitan transportation planning agencies.

DOT's John Porcari and EPA's Gina McCarthy discuss the importance of collaboration between transportation, environment and energy officials with states prior to the launch of the TCI.

The collaboration is expected to significantly benefit individual states by boosting the effectiveness of existing state programs, maximizing the impact of future transportation investments through regional planning, increasing private and public sector innovation and accelerating the growth of clean energy jobs.

The transportation sector is responsible for about 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States.

Through its Declaration of Intent statement, participating TCI states agreed to take concrete actions to address the region’s climate and transportation needs:

“At a time when countries around the world are engaged in a race to build the clean energy economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, U.S. states in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions are once again poised to lead the way.

The Transportation and Climate Initiative provides our states with the opportunity to expand safe and reliable transportation options, attract federal investment, lower transportation costs, improve overall air quality and public health, and mitigate the transportation sector’s impact on climate change. Additionally, the TCI provides our states with the opportunity to further our collaboration on the research and development of advanced transportation technologies.

We further believe that this collaboration will aid our current efforts to:

• Reduce traffic congestion;
• Encourage job growth and accommodate the flow of goods and services;
• Establish state and local land use strategies that increase commercial and residential housing density and encourage transit-friendly design;
• Improve the performance of existing highway, transit and other transportation modes while enhancing neighborhoods and urban centers; and
• Promote mixed-use development that supports viable alternatives to driving.

We understand that the future of transportation and job growth in our states requires forward thinking, the early adoption and deployment of clean energy technologies and a regional approach to clean transportation. We also understand that talking about the future is not enough. We must act.”

TCI states will provide in-kind resources to the initiative through a staff work group, which will lay the groundwork for the TCI’s next meeting and seek public and private funding to support the initiative’s future work.

The Georgetown Climate Center facilitated the TCI’s initial meeting this week in Wilmington, Delaware, with financial support from the Rockefeller Foundation, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, and the Joyce Foundation.

hide ↑

From the NY Times:
“Today’s announcement is an essential part of our energy strategy, but it’s not a substitute for other necessary steps,” Mr. Obama said in a Rose Garden ceremony on Friday, flanked by auto and truck manufacturers. He repeated his hope that Congress will pass an energy bill by the end of the year. “In the meantime,” he added, “I’m going to take every sensible, responsible action that I can take using my authority as president.”

The announcement comes one year after the Administration reached an agreement to increase fuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions for all 2012-2016 new cars and light-duty trucks.

You may watch the announcement in the video below:

hide ↑

From the Washington Post:
"These standards are good for consumers, the companies, the country and the planet," said David Doniger, policy director of the Natural Resources Defense Council's climate center.

Gloria Bergquist, vice president at the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said the new requirement "gives us a clear road map for future fuel economy increases. We have a hill to climb, and it's steep, so we will need consumers to buy our fuel-efficient technologies in large numbers to meet this new national standard."

The new standards will add as much as $985 to a vehicle's initial cost, according to EPA estimates, but buyers are expected to save an estimated $4,000 on fuel over the life of the car.

hide ↑

Inside EPA (subscription only) reports that “McCarthy noted that projected oil savings of 4 million to 7 million barrels per day represent a third to more than half of current oil imports and that GHG cuts would result in up to a 40 percent drop in transportation sector emissions compared to business-as-usual projections.”

The report came in response to a request from Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) for more information on the effect of complementary policies for the transportation sector included in the House-passed cap-and-trade bill.

hide ↑

From Inside EPA (subscription only):
“We are doing that right now,” LaHood said March 15 when asked whether EPA and the Transportation Department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are working on a combined GHG vehicle rule for model years 2017 and beyond. “We’ll be making some announcements very soon,” LaHood told reporters following a speech he gave at an American Public Transportation Association conference in Washington.

EPA and NHTSA March 9 sent for White House Office of Management & Budget review their final rule that would establish a landmark combined rulemaking setting first-time vehicle GHG emission limits and stricter corporate average fuel economy limits.

The rule, which the administration intends to issue later this month, would apply to passenger cars, light-duty trucks and medium-duty passenger vehicles for model years 2012 to 2016. The rule will cut carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 950 million metric tons and 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the lifetime of the affected vehicles, according to EPA.

hide ↑