TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

I had the opportunity to attend a public information session on the TCI on 2/12/20 hosted by the NYSDEC Office of Climate Change, at which time I was able to review the current projections of the economic & environmental impacts of the proposed initiative.

The projections for all three of the cap-and-invest scenarios under consideration indicate that the TCI will *increase* net household income for individual families, *raise* the overall GDP of our individual states, and *improve* public health in our communities while lowering the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of our region's transportation sector. My comment is informed by the results of these models as well as by the best available scientific data on climate change.

My two cents is that the TCI is our region's best opportunity to reduce GHG emissions from the transportation sector while investing in infrastructure and improvements to our region's transportation grid. The 20% & 25% scenarios in particular project higher rates of return under the cap system that will lead to additional investments to make life better for our families, our communities, and our overall region. It's a win-win-win-win scenario that greatly outweighs the rising financial & public health costs of continuing business as usual with a transportation system dependent on fossil fuels.

Scientists across multiple disciplines agree that their data indicates that we have less than a decade to transition to a carbon-neutral economy to avoid the catastrophic severe weather events, rising sea levels, and other environmental impacts of a 1.5°C global warming scenario above pre-industrial levels. We have already missed the deadline for a seamless and painless transition away from a fossil fuel-based economy; however, the proposed scenarios under the TCI will make this transition easier & more affordable for the vast majority of people within our region.

Our region has already successfully reduced our emissions in the energy sector through a cap-and-invest system that is transitioning our power grid to renewable energy sources without increasing the cost of energy for consumers. We, the people, can expect similar results from the TCI.

Several previous commentators have stated that they oppose the TCI because they are afraid that additional regulations will lead to higher gas prices. In the models for all three scenarios, any projected increases in gas prices are projected to be far, far less than what I paid for gas during the Bush Administration. The maximum projected increase of 17¢ over today's gas prices (which, as I understand it, would be the maximum projected fuel increase under the 25% cap scenario) is way, way better than the $2.50 more I was paying for gas back in 2007.

What's more, the public works investments from the cap-and-invest scenarios will make it easier and more affordable for both businesses and individual households to transition to a transportation system where buying gas won't be necessary. Our overall fuel costs will be lower as we need to buy less gasoline, and we will have more disposable income available due to reduced vehicle maintenance costs. These investments are a critical part of the TCI strategy, and to me they seem like a more than fair trade for a few cents extra at the pump.

The anti-TCI comments I've read seem to be rooted in a fear of change. We have been dependent on the fossil fuel industry for half a century, and we've sacrificed both our financial independence and our community health to building a transportation system designed around gasoline-powered automobiles. We have forgotten the spirit of innovation and sense of civic responsibility that built America in the first place. The technology already exists to transform our transportation grid to a gas-free system, which would make our cities and rural communities more resilient, more self-reliant, more healthy, and more financially robust. The TCI is an opportunity for innovation, and so it has my support.

Although there are still many details to be worked out under all three proposed scenarios under consideration as part of the TCI, I appreciate the overall health and economic benefits of the proposed initiative. I also very much appreciate how the cap-and-invest system leaves the ultimate decision for implementing the reduction strategies and the accompanying investments in the hands of our individual states. We will move forward together without sacrificing our sovereignty. We can expect to see a rise in GDP, household incomes, and public health. We will reduce the environmental impact of our transportation sector to keep our region inhabitable for future generations.

Because both the 20% and 25% cap scenarios are more aggressive in their approach to reducing emissions, and because these more aggressive caps will give our states more money to use to invest in clean transportation infrastructure, either of these scenarios under the TCI have my full support.