On Dec. 17, 2019, a bipartisan group of Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states that make up the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) invited the public to provide feedback on a new draft proposal for a regional program that would establish a cap on global warming pollution from transportation fuels and invest millions annually to achieve additional benefits through reduced emissions, cleaner transportation, healthier communities, and more resilient infrastructure.
The draft “Memorandum of Understanding” (Draft MOU) builds on a program framework made public on October 1, 2019. A final MOU is expected in the Spring of 2020, following additional public input and analysis. At that time each of the 12 TCI states and the District of Columbia will decide whether to sign the final MOU and participate in the regional program, which could be operational by 2022.
2020 public meeting schedule
Throughout January and February 2020, Vermont state officials and regional planning commission staff are hosting four public information meetings to discuss the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI). The meetings will feature a brief overview of TCI and provide detailed information about the specific proposals in the draft regional MOU and the associated modeling results. After the initial presentation, state officials will take questions and ask for feedback on the draft MOU.
Here’s more information about the upcoming public meetings:
TCI Public Meeting
January 29, 2020 | 6:00 – 8:00pm
NVDA Conference Room
36 Eastern Ave
St. Johnsbury, VT
Contact: Doug Morton dmorton@nvda.net
TCI Public Meeting
January 30, 2020 | 7:00 – 9:00pm
Hunter Room
Manchester Community Library
138 Cemetery Ave
Manchester Center
Contact: Jim Sullivan jsullivan@bcrcvt.org
TCI Public Meeting
February 6, 2020 | 6:00-8:00 pm
Contois Auditorium, Burlington City Hall, 149 Church Street
Burlington
Contact: Charlie Baker cbaker@ccrpcvt.org
TCI Public Meeting
February 13, 2020 | 6:00 – 8:00pm
Selectboard Chambers (3rd floor)
Town of Springfield Offices
96 Main Street
Springfield, VT
Contact: Tom Kennedy tkennedy@swcrpc.org
You can also provide feedback using the TCI online form. Feedback is welcomed on all aspects of the potential program and comments about the draft MOU will be accepted through Friday, February 28, 2020. If you’d like the Vermont team to respond to your comment or question, please add a note to your entry asking for a response from Vermont officials.
TCI overview
The Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) is a regional collaboration of 12 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states and the District of Columbia that seeks to improve transportation, develop the clean energy economy and reduce carbon emissions from the transportation sector. The participating states are Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia.
In December 2018 nine of the TCI states and the District of Columbia issues a statement committing to collaborate on designing “…a regional low-carbon transportation policy proposal that would cap and reduce carbon emissions from the combustion of transportation fuels through a cap-and-invest program or other pricing mechanisms… [and]… to complete the policy development process within one year, after which each jurisdiction will decide whether to adopt and implement the policy.”
With ongoing facilitation support from the Georgetown Climate Center, TCI states are planning and beginning to implement a range of activities to ensure that the final proposed policy reflects further input from diverse stakeholders, rigorous technical analysis, and consultation with leading experts.
I attended the first TCI meeting last night in St. Johnsbury. What I hoped would be a nuts-and-bolts explanation of he workings of TCI instead was a low voltage sales event for signing onto the program. To the discomfort of the event managers, I summarized TCI in one sentence: “TCI is a carbon tax on motor fuels to raise millions of dollars from Vermont motorists, some of which will dribble back to Vermont to pay people to b buy electric cars.” After that the audience started thinking about all the wonderful “investments”: that we could spend money on, from all that TCI money from out of state. Finally I explained “there is NO MONEY FROM OUT OF STATE. It’s MONEY FROM OUR POCKETS coming back, reduced by TCI’s administrative, legal and promotional expenses .” Duh.
Excellent summary, very well said.
Just another tax, that will employ a whole$ bunch of people, who will fiddle around trying to make the rest of the money go away.
It will also pit all these states against one another to get heir fair share. Or the money will disappear into the vapors which clog the global warming hoax.
This is a waste of the ANR’s time. But in our state…nobody wants to leave them with time to properly address real issues, like invasives that are taking over our hay fields, or bats and birds getting killed by wind turbines, or even how we might properly market outdoor opportunities for hunting, fishing and trapping so as to get kids off their phones and outside.
No….we’d rather bog the ANR down with this foolishness!
You want feed back? I’ll give you feed back and I don’t have to waste my time at meetings listening to a bunch of wanabees. TCI is a myth.
TCI is more like a Nightmare!