NJDEP STRENGTHENS COMMITMENT TO CLEAN ENERGY GOALS BY JOINING
ALLIANCE WORKING TO EXPAND USE OF ZERO-EMISSION VEHICLES

(19/P024) TRENTON – The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is joining the International Zero-Emission Vehicle Alliance, a group focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector by expanding the market for zero-emission vehicles, Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe announced today.

Participating in the Alliance complements a range of initiatives by Governor Phil Murphy for New Jersey to achieve 100 percent clean energy and transportation by 2050.

“Transportation emissions comprise more than 40 percent of greenhouse-gas emissions in New Jersey,” Commissioner McCabe said. “Accordingly, electrifying the transportation sector is an integral part of our strategy to mitigate the impacts of global warming and climate change. Participation in the Alliance furthers our work in expanding the state’s network of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, improving air quality and protecting public health.”

Working with the Alliance will bolster the DEP’s ongoing efforts to expand the electric vehicle charging infrastructure grant program It Pay$ To Plug In, upcoming electric vehicle test drives and a regional Drive Change, Drive Electric consumer awareness campaign coordinated by the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management, a nonprofit association of state air quality agencies in the Northeast.

The DEP’s involvement with the Alliance gives New Jersey the opportunity to build relationships and dialogues across the globe with partners on electric vehicle use strategies and best practices.

“New Jersey’s announcement will further the strategies outlined in the 2018-2021 Multi State Zero Emission Vehicle Action Plan and amplify the work being done in the region to build out electric vehicle infrastructure and enhance consumer awareness,” said Elaine O’Grady, Policy and Program Director for the Northeast States group.

The Alliance will focus on three topic areas in the coming year: implementing smart charging infrastructure, developing funding for the transition to zero-emission vehicles and expanding access to those vehicles.

“The ZEV Alliance is delighted to bring New Jersey’s leadership into the international collaboration, helping to further accelerate the market, lower electric vehicle costs through economies of scale and expand vehicle options for consumers,” said Nic Lutsey, ZEV Alliance Secretariat at the International Council on Clean Transportation.

The Alliance’s 17 member governments are Germany, Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom and Baden-Wurttemberg; the Canadian provinces British Columbia and Quebec; and California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington state.

To learn more about the DEP’s electric vehicle initiatives, visit www.drivegreen.nj.gov.

For more information on the ZEV Alliance, visit www.zevalliance.org.

For more information on the Northeast States group, whose board of directors consists of the air directors for Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont, visit www.nescaum.org/topics/zero-emission-vehicles.

Follow the ZEV Alliance on Twitter @ZEVAlliance.

Follow the DEP on Twitter @NewJerseyDEP.

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