Governor: A gas tax in a world that’s turning away from gas isn’t sustainable
Republican lawmakers raised questions last week about how NC will pay for Gov. Roy Cooper’s transportation plan. We asked Cooper, a Democrat, and Republican Sen. Vickie Sawyer to address the plan.
In North Carolina, we’re no strangers to the threats posed by climate change and the economic opportunities presented by ever-changing technology. We’ve watched hurricanes get stronger and floodwaters rise higher. Meanwhile, we see companies find cleaner and cheaper ways to produce electricity and get us from one place to the next.
By embracing the cutting edge of clean energy, we will combat climate change while building a stronger economy that lifts our entire state. We’ve set ambitious goals, and we’re already making progress to meet them.
In 2018, I directed our state to develop a clean energy plan for the power sector. The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality convened public and private stakeholders and experts to craft a plan to reduce carbon emissions and a transition to renewable energy that will produce electricity for our homes and businesses in cheaper and cleaner ways.
That plan led to the bipartisan House Bill 951 that requires our major utility companies to reach a 70% carbon reduction by the year 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2050. By meeting these ambitious goals North Carolina will be a national leader in clean energy, providing affordable, reliable electricity while getting high-paying jobs from companies like Apple, FUJIFILM Dyosynth, Biogen and more that insist on leaving no carbon footprint.
We must build on our progress in the electric power sector by planning for the clean transportation economy that’s coming to our country. Everywhere you look, leading auto manufacturers are shifting to electric vehicles. That market transformation is good for our environment and our economy, but we have to be ready for it. Toyota’s decision to invest $1.29 billion in its first electric vehicle battery plant here is just a start. Both rural and urban North Carolina will benefit from the clean energy economy as long as we keep preparing.
Earlier this month, I signed Executive Order 246, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions economy-wide and not just in the electric power sector. That means we must take steps to accelerate our state’s transition to a clean transportation future, setting the realistic goals of having at least 1.25 million zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) on our roads by 2030 and reducing economy-wide carbon emissions 50% by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
Just as we did with the Clean Energy Plan, we will convene public and private experts and stakeholders to create a Clean Transportation Plan for North Carolina that will also focus on protecting our most vulnerable communities and seeking environmental justice.
The market is changing quickly. If we want to make, sell, buy or drive new cars here in 10 years, then our transportation infrastructure and policies must change with it.
The Clean Transportation Plan will include strategies to increase equitable access to ZEVs and charging stations, reduce mileage on our highways, enhance the availability of public transit and rail, and advance equity and diversity.
We are also going to need our elected leaders in Raleigh to do their part. Whether due to the resilient rebuilding after violent storms, changes in the way people and goods travel, or the oncoming shift to zero emission vehicles, we know we need to change the way we fund our infrastructure. A gas tax in a world that’s turning away from gas isn’t sustainable. So the hard work of agreeing to new funding sources as we eliminate the gas tax is critical.
A clean energy economy is good for business and the environment, and we want to make sure it’s also fair, sustainable and less costly for all. We owe to our children and grandchildren the opportunities for great paying jobs as well as a planet that will sustain us for generations to come.
This story was originally published January 31, 2022 at 4:30 AM.