After the cancellation of the 2019 New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers Conference, set to be held in St. John, New Brunswick, senior officials put forward a final statement encapsulating the drafted resolutions and a Transportation and Air Quality Report for approval by the governors and premiers. The omnibus statement recognizes the dedicated work of the Northeast International Committee on Energy and efforts to cooperate with other standing NEG/ECP committees to ensure the region meets the marker of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 35%-45% below 1990 levels by 2030. The statement also calls attention to the Transportation Air Quality Committee (TAQC) Report that derived from Resolution 41-4 where governors and premiers requested the committee provide a map of the current regional network of electric charging corridors across New England and Eastern Canada and evaluate the current challenges and advantages of establishing these charging stations within the region.
The TAQC Report provides data on the annually tracked electric vehicles (EV) and fast charging station profiles within the region presenting an impressive increase from 17,007 to over 87,959 EVs and from 76 to 606 fast-charging stations, between 2015 and 2019. The TAQC also developed a corridor map identifying major travel corridors in the region. This will allow the committee to review current gaps within the corridor and determine next steps in order to facilitate EV travel within and between states and provinces. Finally the report provides suggestions from all eleven jurisdictions in the areas of EV availability, affordability, and awareness and seizing opportunities for technological advancement and clean growth. The report also provides a full appendix of electric vehicle incentive programs in New England and Eastern Canada. The Transportation and Air Quality Committee will continue to annually keep an EV profile for the region, maintain the corridor map, and will present a new resolution for the 2020 conference in Connecticut.
