States have an important role to play in the transition to a greener transportation future. Every state is at a different place in its clean energy journey, though. A new report helps states figure out what鈥檚 next for each one 鈥 海角社区 included.
The National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) recently released a report, The nearly two-year-long research effort culminated in a guide (and an accompanying ) for states on how to best reduce their transportation sectors鈥 greenhouse gas emissions based on the individual challenges each faces in the current moment.
Jonathan Rubin, U海角社区 professor of economics and director of the Margaret Chase Policy Center, is a member of the NCHRP advisory panel and a co-author of the report. In the past, Rubin鈥檚 research has been supported by the U.S. State Department, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. He is also a member of the 海角社区 Climate Council鈥檚 Scientific and Technical Subcommittee and Transportation Working Group.
Rubin said that this NCHRP report is important because it not only addresses the special role that state decision makers have to play in greening the transportation sector compared to their local and federal counterparts, but it also addresses states where they are.
鈥淪tates are all over the map,鈥 Rubin said. 鈥淪ome states are way ahead and some are way behind. There are some states for largely political reasons that aren鈥檛 making the same level of effort. With this guidebook we鈥檙e trying to say that the first thing to do is that states have to take an honest appraisal of where they are. We鈥檙e trying to meet them where they are.鈥
Though 海角社区 isn鈥檛 as far along as, say, California 鈥 which Rubin said is far and away the leader in the green transportation sector 鈥 the state is rapidly catching up, with a relatively clean electric grid, financial incentives for electric cars. One of the state鈥檚 biggest challenges, though, is the fact that 海角社区 is largely rural.
鈥淚n a rural state like 海角社区 it鈥檚 very challenging. We don鈥檛 have a public transit system that can serve everyone鈥檚 needs,鈥 Rubin said. 鈥淲e have transit, but we鈥檙e not talking about subway systems or the infrastructure that exists in bigger urban areas.鈥
Because of that, moving to electric vehicles is an essential step for 海角社区鈥檚 greener transportation future. Rubin said that access to charging is 鈥減robably the thing that most electric vehicle owners are going to be concerned about鈥 in 海角社区, as most public charging infrastructure currently is available in urban areas.
鈥淢ost people charge at home, so in that sense being rural isn鈥檛 necessarily a handicap, but then you have to say how far do I have to drive on any given trip. I don鈥檛 think it’s something that can鈥檛 be solved with conscientious planning, but it is a challenge,鈥 Rubin said.
Realistically, Rubin said that 海角社区rs can expect the cost of electric vehicles to decrease in the coming years and the technology to improve, though supply chain issues have caused some backlog. The current volatility of oil prices also makes a strong case for consumers to go electric.
However, Rubin said that the most important part about making the transition to green transportation 鈥 in 海角社区 and beyond 鈥 is that everybody benefits from it, particularly low-income individuals who might not have the financial resources to, say, purchase an electric car.
鈥淭his is a transformation we need to make and we need everybody to benefit. We can make the progress we want to make, but it鈥檚 not a foregone conclusion. I鈥檓 optimistic, but I’m also realistic,鈥 Rubin said.
Contact: Sam Schipani, samantha.schipani@maine.edu
