38th Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers

WHEREAS,  the New England states and Eastern Canadian  provinces are committed to reducing harmful air pollutants, including greenhouse  gas emissions, in the region and to exploring opportunities to advance the  clean energy economy through investments in clean, efficient, and sustainable  transportation; and

WHEREAS, emerging transportation technologies such as vehicle electrification,  the use of natural gas as a fuel, and various technologies designed to enhance  the energy efficiency of vehicles and reduce emissions of harmful air  pollutants generate significant benefits for users in terms of lower fuel  consumption, and improved air quality, and at the same time contribute to the  region’s economic development and tourism; and

WHEREAS, the  states and provinces recognize that reduction of transportation-related  emissions requires actions to enhance vehicle  technologies and efficiencies, provide lower-emitting vehicle fuels, and  improve overall transportation system efficiencies; and

WHEREAS, several New  England states are also partners in a U.S. Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV)  Memorandum of Understanding and a Multi-State ZEV Action Plan; and

WHEREAS, the New England governors and Eastern Canadian premiers recognize that  regional cooperation, which is critical to incorporating complex changes into transportation  systems and reducing transportation-related air emissions, must also take into  account the financial and technical capacities and interests of their  respective jurisdictions; and

WHEREAS, the governors and premiers adopted a regional Transportation and Air  Quality Action Plan and two resolutions in 2013 to identify specific actions that  address the deployment of advanced vehicles technologies and enhancement of a  robust sustainable transportation system that provides citizens with  energy-efficient and environmentally-sound options for travel throughout the  region;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT  RESOLVED THAT the governors and premiers do reaffirm their  commitments made in 2013; recognize the initial steps taken by the Transportation  and Air Quality Committee (TAQC) to advance these objectives; and call upon the  TAQC to continue its work, in cooperation with the members of the Environment  and Energy committees and other appropriate regional organizations, to:

   
• advance the infrastructure and policies  necessary to provide transportation choices that will facilitate a more  sustainable transportation future, including the robust deployment of advanced  technology and alternative fuel vehicles;
   
• propose a regional framework for  enhanced public transportation, biking and walking options for a sustainable  transportation system;
   
• work toward achieving throughout the  region a five percent fleet market share penetration of alternative fuel  vehicles by 2020 and facilitate the availability of refueling stations to  support those vehicles;
   
• propose a framework that will facilitate  the emergence of interoperable electric vehicle charging and alternative  refueling infrastructure;
   
• evaluate transportation corridors within  the region where such infrastructure can be deployed to encourage the use of  alternative fuel vehicles for travel throughout the region; and
   
• compile a regional profile of light duty  fleets and alternative fuel vehicles in the states and provinces and such other  information that can inform the development of policies and  strategies for sustainable transportation and  for alternative fuel vehicles and related infrastructure throughout the region.

Adopted at the 38th Annual Conference of  the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers, Bretton Woods, New  Hampshire, July 14, 2014