Contact: Noah Barnes
noah@electrification.org, (202) 461-2371
TALLAHASSEE – Twenty-one Florida businesses have signed a letter, alongside businesses from states nationwide, endorsing the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule for Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles-Phase 3.
According to the letter, the proposed rule, which aims to tighten emissions standards for heavy-duty (HD) vehicles, will play a pivotal role in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and accelerating the transition to HD electric vehicles (EVs). The EPA forecasts that the rule would lead to 35-57% of new sales of HD vehicles being electric in 2032, depending on the vehicle type.
The participating businesses represent a diverse range of industries, including transportation, logistics, manufacturing, retail, and technology. They include:
- 15lightyears
- A1A Solar
- AltWays Solar
- Anthem Energy Contractors
- Chomanics Consulting
- The Chrema Group LLC
- Dane Myers Music
- De Barl Consulting
- Diversity Works
- Energy Ratings–Mary Alford, LLC
- EV Semi-Fleet Corp.
- EV Transports
- Grounded Solutions
- KBI Staffing Solutions
- Maria Bolton-Joubert Designs
- Mary Ann Chambliss, Architect
- NFC Landscape Architects
- Regan Planning and Permitting
- Suntek
- WindAge, LLC
- Zipline Green
Increased HD EV adoption promises to safeguard public health by reducing pollution in Florida communities. Within the U.S. transportation sector, HD vehicles are the second largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, at 25%.
Currently, the U.S. is behind Europe and China in EV adoption. The EV transition will create opportunities for battery and vehicle manufacturing, positioning the U.S. as a global economic leader and creating jobs in Florida.
Additionally, vehicle electrification can strengthen national security by severing American dependence on the global oil supply. The EPA notes that adopting its proposal could save $12 billion due to reductions in energy security externalities caused by U.S. petroleum consumption and imports.
“Heavy-duty vehicles account for a disproportionate amount of vehicle emissions and oil consumption,” said Ben Prochazka, executive director of the Electrification Coalition. “The proposed rule will improve air quality and public health in Florida’s communities by giving a strong market signal that will accelerate the electrification of heavy-duty vehicles.”
“The American Lung Association rates my hometown of Tampa as having some of the most harmful and widespread types of air pollution: particle pollution and ozone,” said Caroline Chomanics from Chomanics Consulting. “Tampa had exposure to unhealthy levels of ground-level ozone air pollution (also known as smog), annual particle pollution (also known as soot), and short-term spikes in particle pollution over a three-year period. Tampa‘s level of ozone and particle pollution hurts residents but also visitors who come for the beaches and sunshine. Children, older adults, pregnant people and those living with chronic diseases are most at risk. However, with the proposed EPA rules, we could see cleaner skies—and we can all breathe easier.”
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About the Electrification Coalition: The Electrification Coalition is a non-partisan, not-for-profit group committed to promoting policies and actions that facilitate the deployment of plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) on a mass scale in order to combat the economic, public health, and national security dangers caused by America’s dependence on oil. The EC works with a variety of stakeholders that represent the entire electrified transportation value chain, positioning the organization as a dedicated rallying point for an array of electrification allies. For more information, visit electrificationcoalition.org.