CTDOT Press Releases
07/22/2022
Governor Lamont Proclaims Landmark New Local weather Regulation That Will Lend a hand Scale back Greenhouse Gasoline Emissions From Transportation
(NEW HAVEN, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont these days joined state company officers, legislators, and environmental stakeholders at the New Haven Inexperienced to spotlight the enactment of Public Act 22-25, a landmark new legislation that incorporates quite a few movements that may lend a hand cut back greenhouse gasoline (GHG) emissions from the transportation sector, fortify air high quality and well being results for Connecticut citizens, and lend a hand to mitigate affects from the local weather disaster.
The brand new legislation accommodates a number of measures aimed toward decreasing emissions from the transportation sector, which is the biggest supply of statewide GHG emissions (37%), in addition to 67% of the emissions of nitrogen oxides, a key part of smog. A number of the measures the legislation accommodates, it authorizes the Connecticut Division of Power and Environmental Coverage (DEEP) to undertake extra stringent emissions requirements for medium and heavy-duty cars, which account for up to 53% of nitrogen oxide emissions, regardless of being solely 6% of the on-road automobile fleet. It additionally makes more than a few statutory adjustments underneath the Connecticut Blank Air Act, expands present systems, and establishes a number of new systems relating to electrical automobile use and bettering air high quality.
“This historical legislation does such a lot of good stuff that may receive advantages the citizens of Connecticut, bettering air high quality and well being results whilst additionally serving to to mitigate the local weather disaster,” Governor Lamont mentioned. “That is any other nice instance of Connecticut main on local weather, specifically at a time when endured state management on this space is significant, given the U.S. Superb Courtroom’s fresh determination in West Virginia v. EPA, and likely individuals of Congress stymying passage of considerable local weather regulation. I wish to thank our legislative management, and particularly the co-chairs of the Atmosphere and Transportation Committees – Senator Cohen, Consultant Gresko, Senator Haskell, and Consultant Lemar – for his or her efforts to look this vital invoice via.”
“The measures on this unheard of legislation imply cleaner air, higher well being results, and discounts in our greenhouse gasoline emissions,” DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes mentioned. “It is going to make sure that Connecticut citizens and companies can get entry to blank, inexpensive passenger cars, vans, college buses, transit buses and electrical motorcycles, with a focal point on communities overburdened by way of air air pollution. Along with the vital well being advantages to citizens, the measures on this legislation supply much-needed gear in our effort to make important discounts in GHG emissions from the transportation sector, a space by which we wish to make important development with a view to get again on course to fulfill our 2030 GHG emissions goal. Thanks to Governor Lamont and the legislators and stakeholders who championed this invoice.”
“We recognize Governor Lamont and the state legislature for proceeding to prepared the ground with significant efforts to offer protection to the surroundings and mitigate local weather exchange,” Connecticut Division of Transportation (CTDOT) Commissioner Joe Giulietti mentioned. “It is a transformational time in transportation, and the CTDOT is able to meet the instant by way of making an investment in cleaner, greener transportation, construction out electrical automobile infrastructure, and advancing protection and mobility initiatives across the state.”
The invoice’s provisions come with:
- Medium and Heavy-Responsibility Automobile Requirements: Authorizes the DEEP commissioner to undertake rules imposing California’s medium- and heavy-duty motor automobile requirements. Those requirements will make sure that producers are generating cleaner cars and providing them on the market in Connecticut, giving potential shoppers extra choices whilst decreasing a big supply of in-state air air pollution and greenhouse gasoline emissions.
- State Fleet Electrification: Modifies the agenda for electrifying the state fleet, prohibits procurement of diesel-powered buses after January 1, 2024.
- Connecticut Hydrogen and Electrical Car Acquire Rebate (CHEAPR) Program: Makes a large number of adjustments to the CHEAPR program, together with making the CHEAPR board advisory-only, enhancing the board’s club, giving precedence to low-income people and citizens of environmental justice communities, and increasing eligibility to companies, municipalities, nonprofits, and e-bikes; directs all the greenhouse gasoline relief charge and a part of Regional Greenhouse Gasoline Initiative finances to the CHEAPR account.
- 0 Emission Faculty Buses: Lets in for ten-year college transportation contracts if the contract contains no less than one zero-emission college bus; units goal of 100% zero-emission college buses in environmental justice communities by way of 2030, and for all college districts by way of 2040; establishes an identical grant program of as much as $20 million for the EPA Blank Faculty Bus program.
- Medium and Heavy-Responsibility Truck Vouchers: Lets in DEEP to ascertain a voucher program to give a boost to the usage of zero-emission medium and heavy-duty cars and finances this system from the CHEAPR account.
- Visitors Sign Grant Program: Calls for CTDOT to ascertain an identical grant program to lend a hand municipalities modernize present site visitors sign apparatus.
- Proper to Rate: Establishes “proper to price” in condominiums and not unusual pastime communities, supplies for “renter’s proper to price” with positive specs.
- New Building Electrical Automobile (EV) Charging Necessities: Calls for a undeniable share of parking areas in positive new development to be provided with both EV charging stations or charging station infrastructure.
“It is a considerate and the most important piece of regulation that may transfer Connecticut ahead to a spot of higher well being, extra sustainable transportation choices, and cleaner air,” State Senator Christine Cohen (D-Guilford), Senate chair of the Atmosphere Committee, mentioned. “We have a possibility to leverage federal finances, to mitigate local weather exchange, to lend a hand our companies electrify their truck fleets, and to fortify the air high quality and well being results for all Connecticut citizens.”
“This legislation is a significant step towards cleaner air and higher well being for everybody in Connecticut, particularly the ones alongside transportation corridors and in environmental justice communities,” State Consultant Joseph P. Gresko (D-Stratford), Area chair of the Atmosphere Committee, mentioned. “It assists our relief targets on greenhouse gasoline emissions. Lowering emissions from medium and heavy-duty cars by way of adopting the California same old is a essential part to fulfill our local weather and air high quality targets. This legislation guarantees producers be offering cleaner cars on the market, giving shoppers possible choices whilst decreasing a big supply of air air pollution and greenhouse gasoline emissions in our state.”
“With the president’s local weather schedule mired in gridlock and the Superb Courtroom rolling again essential environmental protections, it’s by no means been extra vital for states to step up and offer protection to blank air,” State Senator Will Haskell (D-Westport), Senate chair of the Transportation Committee, mentioned. “This invoice takes steps large and small, from making electrical cars extra inexpensive to modernizing site visitors indicators and reducing site visitors. Take into accout, there’s no such factor as Republican air or Democratic air. There’s solely grimy air that makes us unwell and blank air that assists in keeping us alive. Because the local weather disaster worsens, as bronchial asthma charges building up, as smog results in extra emergency room visits, as kids get started and finish their day coughing up diesel exhaust on a college bus, we want each stage of presidency engaged within the undertaking of saving the planet. If we don’t get this proper, not anything else will subject a lot. I’m so commemorated to have labored along Governor Lamont to go the historical Connecticut Blank Air Act.”
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