Clean Car Standards (HB1965) Passes the Virginia Senate

On Friday, February 19th, the Virginia Senate passed Delegate Bagby’s HB1965 and will head to the House for approval on small amendments before reaching the Governor’s desk.

Virginia Conservation Network Partners along with the broader conservation community released the following statements. Check back for more statements.

Last updated: February 22nd, 2021, 9 AM.

Virginia Conservation Network

“With the passage of Clean Car Standards, Virginia will see an acceleration in transportation electrification, yielding immediate health, environmental, and economic benefits for all Virginians. Virginians will benefit from Clean Car Standards as manufacturers prioritize sending their EVs to Virginia dealerships, therefore expanding consumer choice and keeping automobile jobs in Virginia. The adoption of more EVs means a reduction in air pollution from transportation emissions, and a healthier environment for residents of the Commonwealth.

Transportation continues to be Virginia’s largest source of carbon emissions (48 percent) and a top source of other harmful pollutants that damage both our environment and our health. While electric vehicles (EVs) are no silver bullet to our climate crisis, they represent a critical piece of the puzzle in our clean transportation future. It takes time to change our land use patterns and build more comfortable and convenient  biking, walking, and public transit options; the adoption of EVs will ease this transition and provide significant reductions in transportation emissions.

Thank you to the bill patron, Delegate Bagby, along with the General Assembly and Governor Northam for their support of Clean Car Standards.” – Mary Rafferty, Executive Director

Media Contact

Wyatt Gordon, Policy Manager – Land Use & Transportation

wyatt@vcnva.org

804) 429-7765

The Nature Conservancy in Virginia

“By voting to adopt the Clean Car Standards, Virginia lawmakers took a critical step towards addressing the enormous amounts of carbon dioxide pollution coming from personal vehicles. Transportation is Virginia’s largest source of carbon pollution, accounting for nearly half of the Commonwealth’s total emissions. Personal vehicles, specifically, emit more carbon pollution than Virginia’s entire power sector.

We must address the climate crisis with the urgency and seriousness that this problem demands, and today, Virginia lawmakers did exactly that by passing the Clean Car Standards. These standards will simultaneously broaden consumer choice, improve public health, and reduce carbon emissions.

We applaud every lawmaker who voted to advance—and ultimately pass—this critical piece of legislation. We also thank the bill patron, Delegate Lamont Bagby, for his leadership on this pressing issue.” – Lena Lewis, Energy and Climate Policy Manager

Media Contact

Kelley Galownia, Media Relations Manager

kelley.galownia@tnc.org

(571) 403-4625

Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action

“The General Assembly has just taken another bold step to protect the health of Virginians by passing the Clean Cars legislation.  Supporting the transition to electric vehicles will prevent asthma exacerbations, heart attacks and premature deaths by reducing vehicle pollution while also helping preserve a healthy climate future for our children and grandchildren. On behalf of more than 400 health professionals across the Commonwealth, Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action applauds the passage of this bill and the benefits it will bring to the health and welfare of our patients and communities.” – Smantha Ahdoot, MD, Chair

Media Contact

John Bagwell

john@virginiaclinicians.org

(202) 360-8176

CCAN Action Fund

“By passing Advanced Clean Car Standards, Virginia continues to be a leader on people-focused policy. As the single largest source of carbon emissions in the Commonwealth, the transportation sector has historically been a source of environmental injustice. Virginians — especially Black and brown folks — have suffered unnecessarily high rates of cancer, heart disease, and other related illnesses. Today, Virginia joins the ranks of many other forward-looking states from California to neighboring Maryland, who have implemented the same standards and prioritized people and our planet. We commend Delegate Bagby and the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus for their leadership on this issue.” – Kim Jemaine, Virginia Director

Media Contact

Laura Cofsky, Communications Director

laura@chesapeakeclimate.org

(202) 642-9336

Sierra Club Virginia Chapter

“Our state lawmakers put Virginia on the path to be the first state in the Southeast to adopt clean car standards. Coming into the 2021 session, the environmental community made it clear that lawmakers can’t commit to protecting the health of Virginians without addressing transportation pollution. Adopting clean car standards will create jobs, save lives, and help preserve our climate. We commend the state legislature for adopting policy that puts climate action, communities and public health first, and we are hopeful that Governor Northam will sign the clean car standards bill into law.” – Kelsey Crane, Campaign and Policy Director

Media Contact

Tim Cywinski, Communications Manager

tim.cywinski@sierraclub.org

Generation180

“With the passage of the Advanced Clean Car Standards, Generation180 commends Virginia lawmakers for seizing this opportunity for action on clean energy. Expanding electric mobility will bring cleaner air, better health, new jobs, and greater economic investment and innovation to Virginia.

Virginians want more electric transportation options and the moment demands it. The science is clear that we must make it as easy as possible — as quickly as possible — for more Virginians to drive electric vehicles. This kind of bold transportation policy will help accelerate Virginia’s much-needed transition to a clean energy future.

We applaud Virginia lawmakers for acting on their constituents’ demands for electric mobility and their leadership and support of this essential legislation,” – Wendy Philleo, Executive Director

Media Contact

Kay Campbell, Senior Communications Strategist

kay@generation180.org

(434) 987-2572

Southern Environmental Law Center

“The Clean Cars bill will be the most significant step Virginia has taken to curb tailpipe pollution from cars and trucks. It’s good for our health, it’s good for our environment, and it’s good for consumers. Transportation is by far the leading source of carbon pollution in Virginia. Today’s vote signals that the General Assembly is serious about addressing climate change.” – Trip Pollard, Land and Community Program

Media Contact

Claudine Ebeid McElwain, Senior Communications Manager

cmcelwain@selcva.org

(202) 492-0659

Virginia League of Conservation Voters

“In 2020, and now 2021, Virginia’s General Assembly has taken leaps and bounds forward in tackling the climate crisis, first by working to secure our transition away from fossil fuels to power our daily lives, and now by moving to reduce harmful tailpipe pollution by putting cleaner cars on the road. We are not across the finish line yet, but we’re close. We thank Delegates Bagby, Reid and Sullivan for their leadership, and urge lawmakers to finalize this huge victory for clean air, climate action, and a more sustainable future.” – Michael Town, Executive Director

Media Contact

Lee Francis, Deputy Director

lfrancis@valcv.org

(804) 225-1902

Mothers Out Front

“Mothers and others across Virginia are cheering the passage of the Clean Cars Standard. We are one step closer to drastically reduce the harmful effects of pollution from transportation, the largest source of GHG emissions in Virginia and in the nation. Our children and grandchildren will benefit from cleaner and healthier air, and we look forward to the passage of HB 2118, which would extend those health benefits to school buses across the state.” – Tiziana Bottino, Northern VA Organizer

Media Contact

Tiziana Bottino

tiziana.bottino@mothersoutfront.org

(757) 324-6981

Ceres

“Ceres commends the Virginia General Assembly for taking steps to embrace and accelerate the transition to clean and zero-emission vehicles. The clean cars program, coupled with additional policies such as incentives for electric vehicle purchases and investments in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, are needed to ensure Virginia businesses and consumers are able to reap the myriad benefits of clean vehicles.

Major businesses in the Commonwealth support the adoption of clean vehicle standards as a way to curb harmful vehicle pollutant emissions and provide much-needed financial savings for Virginia households and businesses. These businesses also know that making the switch to clean vehicles is critical to tackling the climate crisis. Adopting clean car standards builds off the Clean Economy Act’s efforts to eliminate carbon pollution from the electricity sector by 2050 by ensuring electric vehicles—powered by carbon-free electricity—are readily available for consumers and businesses throughout the Commonwealth” – Alli Gold Roberts, Director of State Policy

Media Contact

Helen Booth-Tobin, Senior Manager, Policy Communications

boothtobin@ceres.org

The Union of Concerned Scientists

“The future of transportation is clean. When drivers can drive cleaner vehicles—including electric vehicles—they save money at the gas pump, and reduce the emissions that endanger our climate. We need strong policies in place to make sure everyone can benefit from cleaner vehicle technology. With today’s vote, Virginia’s legislators show that they understand the need for policies that can help accelerate these innovative technologies.

“Transportation is the largest source of global warming emissions in the U.S., and Virginia has taken a meaningful step towards reining in these emissions. A stronger clean vehicle market will drive down costs for consumers in addition to reducing pollution from vehicles in communities across the state. We applaud Virginia for working to build a cleaner transportation future.” – Michelle Robinson, Director, Clean Transportation Program

Media Contact

Seth D. Michaels, Communications Officer

smichaels@ucsusa.org

(202) 331-5662