NJ, Dem states press Biden team on electrifying cars, trucks by 2045

The governors of New Jersey and several other Democrat-run states across the nation are pressing the White House to commit to fully slashing vehicle carbon emissions by 2045.

That goal follow a suite of similar efforts by some of those states, including New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut, to phase in zero-emissions trucks and passenger cars.

New Jersey will spend $100 million toward that goal and toward efforts to boost the number of electric vehicles on the roads and ancillary charging infrastructure.

“The transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in New Jersey,” Gov. Phil Murphy said in an April 21 statement.

He’s boasted these efforts as a means to push the state toward a “green economy,” which is focused on clean and renewable energy while kick-starting the state’s recovery from the COVID-19 recession.

That $100 million of funding, Murphy added, is a vital step to improve the state’s air quality and turn the tide of climate change.

“A commitment from the federal government in both funding and regulatory action will complement this investment, and further drive innovation, create good-paying jobs and accelerate progress towards our goal of reaching 100 percent clean energy by 2050,” he continued.

The letter is signed by the governors of California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington–all Democrats.

They are asking the Biden team to set stricter emissions and sales standards for light, medium and heavy-duty vehicles; to bolster funding for states for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure; to restore emissions standards in place prior to the Trump administration; and for new tax credits to entice the purchase of zero-emission, electric vehicles.

“By establishing a clear regulatory path to ensuring that all vehicles sold in the United States are zero-emission, we can finally clear the air and create high-road jobs,” reads the letter addressed to President Joe Biden. “Moving quickly towards a zero-emission transportation future will protect the health of all communities.”

White House officials did not return a request for comment.

The governors are asking the Biden team to set a standard that all cars and light-duty trucks need to be zero-emission by 2035. Medium and heavy-duty trucks would have until 2045 to achieve that standard, and all three would be subject to “significant milestones along the way to monitor progress,” under the proposals.

They’re asking Biden to revoke several Trump-era greenhouse gas standards and to allow California to adopt its own vehicle emissions standards, which was challenged in court by the Trump team.

And they’re asking for federal dollars to boost charging infrastructure, grants for transitioning to zero-emissions electric vehicles, and to extend electric cars to lower-income neighborhoods. Tax credits would help manufacturers produce electric vehicles, and to subsidize the cost of their purchase, under the proposal.

“The environmental and economic benefits of this leadership are significant,” the letter reads. “With bold federal leadership, American workers will lead the way in designing, building and driving clean and affordable vehicles.”