Governor Janet Mills has signed an executive order (PDF) to accelerate Maine’s progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transportation by calling for a “clean transportation roadmap” to achieve the state’s climate plan goal of increasing the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on the road in Maine by 2030.
The roadmap, due by December, will develop recommendations to enhance the EV market in Maine, expand charging infrastructure, evaluate effects on electric utilities and the grid, and ensure an equitable and affordable transition to clean transportation for all people in Maine.
Reducing emissions from transportation is part of Maine’s effort to curb state emissions by 45% by 2030. The state’s climate action plan, Maine Won’t Wait, estimates Maine needs 219,000 light-duty EVs on the road by 2030 to meet its emissions targets.
Currently, EVs account for fewer than 1 percent of registered vehicles in Maine. However, the amount of EVs is expected to grow in coming years due to advancing technology, reductions in cost, increasing consumer demand, and commitments from the federal government, state governments, and major auto manufacturers to accelerate the transition to EVs.
Work on the clean transportation roadmap will be led by the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future and the Governor’s Energy Office, in concert with the Maine Department of Transportation, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and the Efficiency Maine Trust.
The governor’s executive order follows the release this week of the state’s first Lead-By-Example plan, which establishes climate, clean energy, and clean transportation targets for state agencies.
To support the state’s clean transportation goals in the Lead-By-Example plan, the Efficiency Maine Trust this week announced the availability of $200,000 of Volkswagen settlement funds to install publicly available electric vehicle charging stations at state office locations.
Another key aspect of the clean transportation executive order, in addition to the roadmap, is the creation of a recognition program for auto dealers and other businesses, local governments, and nonprofits for leadership on clean transportation. The program would be developed and administered by the Governor’s offices and the Efficiency Maine Trust.
The clean transportation roadmap marks another milestone in the implementation of Maine Won’t Wait, the state’s four-year plan for climate action launched on Dec. 1, 2020.
