Part of the solution: Cleaner Cars standards

Despite historic progress in the 2007 legislative session that set aggressive, science-based targets for global warming emissions reductions, emissions in Minnesota are still increasing. The 2008 legislature has so far lacked a sense of urgency to pass actual policies that reduce global warming pollution...policies like the Cleaner Cars standards. If our elected leaders are serious about the goals made into law last year, the time to act is now.

The amount of global warming emissions in Minnesota has increased since 1990 and will continue to rise unless we take strong action now. Each colored band represents a sector of Minnesota's economy—from electricity to transportation.(Chart courtesy of the Center for Climate Strategies.)

Part of a multi-front approach
No silver bullet, but many opportunities

Governor Pawlenty's Minnesota Climate Change Advisory Group evaluated the 2007 Renewable Electricity Standard (RES), which requires Minnesota’s electric utilities to produce 25 percent of their power from renewable energy sources by 2025. Office of Energy Security Director Edward Garvey recently testified that full implementation of the RES will reduce global warming emissions 133 million metric tons in Minnesota by 2025.

While this is a great start, Minnesota’s global warming problem cannot be addressed by reducing emissions in one sector alone. Transportation accounts for 24 percent of total global warming emissions in Minnesota, and making significant reductions in that sector is an important part of the solution.

An important policy option: the Cleaner Cars standards. By instituting these standards, Minnesota has the opportunity to take a large bite (13 million metric tons) out of state global warming emissions and save Minnesota consumers more than $260 million in fuel costs by 2025.

A strategy of misinformation
Opponents' diversionary claims refuted by expert

Opponents of the Cleaner Cars standards have raised one red herring after another. In an informational hearing at the Capitol, the Chief Deputy Director for the California Air Resources Board (CARB) set the record straight. Tom Cackette testified that CARB undertook an extensive and transparent stakeholder process to develop the tailpipe emissions standards. The process included the participation of auto manufacturers from across the U.S. and abroad and a series of public hearings broadcast on the web. Highlights from CARB’s testimony:

• The standards are agnostic about fuels and therefore have no impact on Minnesota’s use of E10, E20, E85, or any blend in between.
• The standards could lead to increased ethanol use in Minnesota and the 12 other states that have already adopted the standards, providing a huge boost to the industry.
• The standards will save consumers money due to fuel efficiency upgrades, with absolutely no compromise in performance, weight, size, or availability of models—including trucks, minivans, and SUVs.
• The standards will reduce global warming pollution by twice as much as the federal standard by 2016 and provide more than 69 percent better reductions by 2020.

Observing the Clean Air Act
Standards would help Minnesota comply

In addition to significantly reducing global warming pollution, the Cleaner Cars standards would reduce particulate and smog-forming pollution from passenger vehicles. If the Twin Cities metro area exceeds federal air pollution standards, the Clean Air Act requires costly controls to reduce air pollution, including the possibility of emissions testing stations. A Minnesota Chamber of Commerce study concluded that complying with such a regulatory program would cost Minnesota citizens and businesses up to $286 million each year. The Cleaner Cars standards would be an effective tool in keeping Minnesota's air in compliance with federal Clean Air Act regulations.

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