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Global Warming
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Executive Summary
Despite tighter automobile emission standards over the last three decades, Maine continues to face significant automobile-related air pollution problems. Increasing the use of advanced-technology vehicles—those that use cleaner, alternative fuels or new technological advances to achieve dramatically improved environmental performance— could alleviate the state’s air pollution problems while reducing Maine’s contribution to global warming and enhancing the state’s energy security.
Policies such as the Cleaner Cars program and vehicle global warming pollution standards can help bring increased numbers of advanced-technology vehicles to Maine.
The inefficient use of petroleum to power the state’s transportation system poses serious threats to Maine’s environment and economy.
• Concentrations of air toxics such as benzene and formaldehyde exceed federal health standards in every county. Exposure to air toxics raises Maine residents’ cancer risk over 30 times higher than the EPA’s cancer risk benchmark.
• During the summer of 2003, air pollution monitors in Maine registered 19 instances when smog levels exceeded EPA health standards. Light-duty vehicles such as cars, pick-up trucks, minivans and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) are responsible for almost one half of all emissions of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to the air. Nitrogen oxides and
VOCs are the chemical components of smog.
• Cars and light trucks are responsible for one-fifth of Maine’s emissions of greenhouse gases, which cause global warming. Global warming poses severe potential threats to coastal and forest ecosystems and public health in the state.
• Maine’s overreliance on petroleum for transportation leaves the state susceptible to rising prices, price spikes and supply disruptions. These problems will become more severe over the next several decades as global petroleum supplies tighten. Advanced-technology vehicles can alleviate many of these problems.
• Advanced-technology vehicles can significantly reduce emissions of air toxics and smog-forming pollutants from Maine cars and light trucks. The current generation of hybrid-electric vehicles—such as the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic—are approximately 90 percent cleaner than the average vehicle on sale in Maine today. Clean gasoline-powered vehicles with state-of- the-art emission-reduction technology, like the popular all-wheel drive Subaru Legacy Outback, are now being manufactured that attain similar air toxics and VOC pollution reductions.
• Advanced-technology vehicles can also reduce Maine’s emissions of greenhouse gases, which cause global warming. vehicles that take advantage of the benefits of hybrid-electric motors and other advances in automotive technology can produce about one-third less global warming-inducing carbon dioxide per mile than conventional vehicles.
• Advanced-technology vehicles can enhance Maine’s energy security by improving fuel efficiency or by using alternative fuels such as natural gas, electric power or renewably generated hydrogen. Environment Maine Research & Policy Center 45 Several types of advanced-technology vehicles are “ready to roll,” yet availability of these vehicles in Maine is limited.
• Hybrid-electric vehicles: About 85,000 hybrid-electric vehicles were sold in the U.S. in 2004, an increase of 63 percent over the previous year. As many as 60 percent of potential vehicle buyers surveyed stated that they would consider buying a hybrid, yet Maine auto dealers report waiting lists of 6 to 18 months for the popular Toyota Prius hybrid.
• Clean conventional vehicles: Thirteen automakers now manufacture vehicles that meet rigorous partial zero emission vehicle (PZEV) emission standards. Some vehicles like the Ford Focus and Subaru Legacy Outback are available in Maine, yet many PZEVs have been made available only to consumers in states that have adopted the Cleaner Cars program.
• Natural gas vehicles: More than 140,000 natural gas vehicles are currently on American roads in a variety of styles and configurations. Yet, only one automaker is thus far offering them for sale to the general public.
• Other types of vehicles—such as battery- electric vehicles, “plug-in” hybrids and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles—also show the potential for significant environmental benefits, but will require further research and development before they become commercially feasible on the broad automobile market. Adopting the Cleaner Cars program would put tens of thousands of advanced- technology vehicles on Maine’s roads by the end of the decade, at minimal additional cost to automakers and potential net benefit to consumers.
• The Cleaner Cars program would require automakers to sell approximately 2,900 hybrid-electric vehicles and 12,800 clean conventional vehicles annually in Maine starting in 2008 (when model year 2009 vehicles go on sale, and assuming no significant growth in total car sales), with the numbers increasing over time.
• Producing vehicles to meet these targets in Maine would cost automakers approximately $4.8 million in 2008. The incremental cost of the program in 2008 represents 0.0006 percent of gross sales at the six major manufacturers. These costs will be offset by financial benefits from technology improvements that can be exported to other vehicle lines, assistance in complying with other regulatory standards, and consumers’ willingness to pay more for some vehicles with reduced emissions.
• Consumers are unlikely to be negatively affected by the program. Most automakers have chosen not to pass on the direct additional cost of conforming with PZEV emission standards. For example, the PZEV version of the Ford Focus costs $115 more in states that have not adopted the Cleaner Cars program but in Maine Ford does not charge extra for this clean vehicle. Should the cost of hybrid- electric vehicles decrease (as is anticipated) and gas prices continue to rise, many consumers will see a net financial benefit from purchasing hybrid- electric vehicles.
• Automakers have already invested in research and production facilities necessary to comply with standards in other states that have adopted the program.
These states—New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, New Jersey, and California —represent 26 percent of the national car market.
California’s forthcoming requirements on global warming pollution from vehicles will begin reducing the contribution of automobiles to greenhouse gas pollution in 2008 in states that adopt the program.
• The vehicle global warming pollution standards seek to “achieve the maximum feasible and cost effective reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles.” Limits on vehicle travel, new gasoline or vehicle taxes, or limitations on ownership of SUVs or other light trucks cannot be imposed to attain the new standards.
• By 2012, the standards could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from new cars by 25 percent and from new light trucks by 18 percent. These emissions reductions would save consumers money.
Adoption of the Cleaner Cars program and vehicle global warming pollution standards is essential to getting clean, advanced- technology vehicles onto Maine’s roads.
• Both programs would ensure a consistent supply of clean vehicles for Maine’s consumers, create economies of scale necessary to allow the construction of alternative-fuel infrastructure, set high standards for vehicle technology, and help guide the development of even cleaner automotive technologies in the years to come.
• Committing now to adopt vehicle global warming pollution standards as soon as they are finalized would ensure that Maine receives cleaner vehicles when the program begins in 2008 (when model year 2009 vehicles go on sale).
The goals of the programs are attainable and achieving them would be beneficial to Maine.
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