Emily Gedeon, emily.gedeon@sierraclub.org
DENVER -- Today, Governor Jared Polis of Colorado issued the first executive order of his administration, unveiling a set of actions that will clean up Colorado’s transportation sector through accelerated adoption of electric vehicles in Colorado.
Pollution in the transportation sector - from cars, trucks, buses and other vehicles - is a leading source of climate pollution the state of Colorado, second only to the electric sector. As the electric sector gets cleaner in Colorado with the leadership of city and state commitments to 100 percent clean, renewable energy, pollution from transportation is expected to quickly become Colorado’s top source of pollution.
Colorado’s Front Range, including Denver, Ft. Collins and Boulder, routinely fails to meet federal ozone pollution standards, putting the health of millions at risk. Governor Polis, recognizing the health and climate crisis facing Coloradans, ordered the following actions:
-
ZEV: State agencies will develop and decide whether to adopt a Zero Emission Vehicle Plan by no later than October 30th, 2019. Colorado recently adopted a Low Emission Vehicle plan in late 2018.
-
VW Settlement: A revised Volkswagen settlement mitigation plan will ensure that all remaining funds are used to electrify transportation.
-
Administrative Electric Vehicle Workgroup: 13 state agencies, ranging from the Colorado Energy Office through the Department of Agriculture and the Public Utilities Commission, will form a workgroup to develop, coordinate and implement widespread transportation electrification in Colorado.
-
Colorado Department of Transportation: The state’s chief transportation agency will develop a zero emission vehicle and transportation plan to support widespread deployment of electric vehicles and mobility plans in order to save energy, reduce congestion and improve safety on Colorado’s roads.
-
Electric vehicles across the West: Colorado affirms commitment to the Regional Electric Vehicle Plan for the West, which will create infrastructure for electric vehicles along major highway corridors in the Intermountain West.
“The Colorado Sierra Club applauds Governor Jared Polis for making one of his first actions in office one that addresses the climate crisis in our state,” said Jim Alexee, Director of the Colorado Sierra Club. “While the federal government goes backward on climate action, Governor Polis showed today that Colorado will charge ahead on solutions to cut pollution from transportation, putting at least one million more electric vehicles on the road by 2030.”
A 2017 study found that a large scale adoption of electric vehicles in Colorado by 2050 could save Coloradans a net $43 billion.
###
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.