MTA sent a letter to the Clean Fuel Standards working group, outlining its belief that incentives rather than new clean fuel mandates are the key to achieving more emissions reductions.
MTA emphasized that the state’s only non-attainment area is Dakota County, which failed to meet the 2008 federal air quality standard for lead. Based on its current design value, the measurement used to determine its status, the county now meets the federal standard.[1] As a result, all counties in Minnesota achieve the federal definition of clean air. With respect to climate change, emissions in Minnesota represented less than 2% of the nation’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2018 with transportation-related emissions accounting for roughly 1/3 of the state’s total.[2]
The state’s success in meeting clean air standards and reducing GHG emissions has been supported by decades of work by the truck and engine manufacturers and fuel providers that supply the state’s trucking industry. These efforts include removing sulfur from diesel fuel in 2006 and introducing new technology diesel trucks in 2010 which reduced tailpipe emissions by as much as 90%. Technology advances in new trucks have resulted in nearly 25% better fuel economy and a corresponding reduction in GHG emissions. An additional 25% improvement in fuel economy is being phased in over the next five years. To realize these achievements, the trucking industry has invested billions of dollars to deploy this new equipment.
[1] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Lead (2008) Designated Area/State Information with Design Values (December 31, 2021).
[2] U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Energy-Related CO2 Emission Data Tables (March 2, 2021)
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