Essay
Good morning Chair and members of the Committee. My name is Samiya Johnson, and I am requesting your strong support for HF2847, the Clean Transportation Standard Act. This legislation represents a significant and necessary step toward modernizing our state's transportation infrastructure and securing cleaner air for all residents, paving the way for a healthier and more prosperous future.
The Clean Transportation Standard Act (CTS) establishes a comprehensive framework to rapidly decarbonize the state's transportation sector. The legislation provides the Clean Transportation Standard itself, mandating a shift in fuel supply, and is backed by clear statewide goals and annual standards for reducing fuel carbon intensity, offering predictability for industry. Despite state goals and past policies, the transportation sector remains the largest source of carbon emissions in Minnesota approximately 24% of total carbon emissions in 2022
The program is financially sustained through authorized fees on market transactions and appropriated money for immediate implementation. This funding mechanism ensures the infrastructure transition is self-sustaining. Crucially, the Act provides civil enforcement authority and establishes clear penalties for non-compliance, ensuring annual reduction targets are consistently met.
For execution, implementation is directed to state agencies, which are granted rulemaking power to define necessary technical standards. Furthermore, transparent data practices are provided to ensure public access to progress reports. The CTS Act is a complete legislative package that mandates goals, secures funding, enforces compliance, and guarantees transparency for a cleaner economic future. the CTS will have already created tens of thousands of jobs and be on track to reach the 55,000 new jobs target in the clean fuel sector by 2040.
Source Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), and the Minnesota Climate Action Framework