The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) recently released a report that highlights how the state will meet its greenhouse gas emission reduction goals under the 2007 Next Generation Energy Act.
Pathways to Decarbonizing Transportation in Minnesota outlines several steps MnDOT will take including analyzing greenhouse gas emissions in transportation projects, creating a regional collaboration on electric vehicle corridors, and establishing the Sustainable Transportation Advisory Council.
The report also includes state-level recommendations such as assisting with the creation of a market for new and used electric vehicles in the state and adopting clean car standards that require auto manufacturers to offer more models of electric vehicles.
“Minnesotans are concerned about climate change and want to see meaningful action,” Will Seuffert, Minnesota Environmental Quality Board executive director, said. “With the transportation sector now the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the state, this report lays an important foundation for advancing low-carbon transportation options.”
MnDOT and the Environmental Quality Board funded the report, the Great Plains Institute coordinated stakeholder and public engagement, Energy and Environmental Economics conducted modeling, and the McKnight Foundation provided technical expertise.
The project steering committee included the Minnesota Department of Commerce, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.