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Dear neighbors,
Governor Walz announced last week that Minnesota will pursue adopting clean car standards. I’m pleased with the Governor’s decision. It will result in improvements in air quality, especially for our district that is intersected by freeways. It will also significantly reduce our state’s carbon footprint.
Minnesota would be the fourteenth state to adopt low-emission vehicle (LEV) and zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) standards. Under these standards, there would be more options for consumers who are interested in fuel-efficient and electric vehicles. Automobile manufacturers would need to sell vehicles that produce lower levels of emissions and vehicles with ultra-low or zero tailpipe emissions, such as electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid models.
Promoting electric vehicles is important because the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s latest study showed that transportation is the source of approximately 25 percent of our greenhouse gas emissions. Clean car standards are projected to reduce Minnesota’s carbon emissions by two million tons by the year 2030.
Clean car standards would reduce other harmful tailpipe emissions as well. This could help address high asthma rates and other public health issues that are caused or exacerbated by air pollution.
More information about clean car standards is available here and at mn.gov/cleancars.
Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts on this issue or others that are important to you.
Sincerely,
Jean Wagenius
State Representative
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