Skip to main content

Colorado signs exec order to support transition to ZEVs

Governor of Colorado Jared Polis has signed an executive order which outlines a suite of initiatives to support a transition to zero emission vehicles (ZEV) in the US state. Polis says: “Our goal is to reach 100% renewable electricity by 2040 and embrace the green energy transition already underway economy-wide” He believes the public health and environmental benefits of widespread transportation electrification will increase as the state moves towards a cleaner electric grid. The initiatives include
January 25, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

Governor of Colorado Jared Polis has signed an executive order which outlines a suite of initiatives to support a transition to zero emission vehicles (ZEV) in the US state.

Polis says: “Our goal is to reach 100% renewable electricity by 2040 and embrace the green energy transition already underway economy-wide”

He believes the public health and environmental benefits of widespread transportation electrification will increase as the state moves towards a cleaner electric grid.  

The initiatives include a directive to create a working group to implement state programmes and strategies supporting this.

As part of the executive order, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is to develop a rule to establish a zero emission vehicle programme which it will then propose to the Air Quality Control Commission no later than May.

The 5701 Colorado Department of Transportation is also to develop an electric vehicle policy and plan.

Additionally, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is to revise the state Beneficiary Mitigation Plan, which describes how the state will allocate nearly $70 million received in trust funds due to the settlement of the federal 994 Volkswagen (VW) emissions case. The revised plan will focus all remaining, eligible investments on supporting electrification of transportation, including transit buses, school buses and trucks.

In September 2015, the US 1999 Environmental Protection Agency issued a notice of violation of the Clean Air Act to VW. The German automaker %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external admitted false http://www.itsinternational.com/categories/travel-information-weather/news/germany-to-toughen-rules-after-vw-scandal/ false false%>to US regulators that it programmed its cars to detect when they were being tested and altered the running of diesel engines to conceal their true emissions.

Steps have already been taken toward more sustainable vehicles in Colorado. Last year, former governor John Hickenlooper launched the Colorado Electric Vehicle (EV) %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external Plan false http://www.itsinternational.com/sections/general/news/colorado-launch-plan-to-support-evs-on-state-highways/ false false%> to support EV infrastructure.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Your life in their hands
    March 27, 2018
    Rail, bus and taxi operators are realising significant savings by switching to ride scheduling, booking and monitoring apps that help them greatly automate their operations - while simultaneously offering their smartphone-wielding passengers the information they crave. Indeed, most of today’s transportation apps offer customers instant access to your system via mobile phone, where they can book and pay for a ride, get real-time status on their train, bus, or taxi - greatly reducing the overhead you normally
  • Onemile launches e-scooter rental service which comes with seating pad
    January 7, 2019
    Chinese technology start-up Onemile has launched its electric scooter rental service which comes with a seating pad to help improve rider safety. The company’s Halo City scooters are available in Hawaii, Paris, London and Berlin. Onemile aims to offer its service at mid and long-term rental and says it will provide an integrated parking location and management system. It is not the only company looking to find new ways to improve safety for riders. In the US, Bird rolled out an app feature which a
  • Texas to form taskforce to develop C/AV projects
    February 5, 2019
    The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDoT) is to create a taskforce which will coordinate all ongoing connected and autonomous vehicle (C/AV) projects in the US state. The C/AV task force is being set up in order to document public and private C/AV efforts, facilitate partnerships, host industry forums and help encourage greater collaboration. James Bass, TxDOT executive director, says: “Our goal is to further build on the momentum already established with the Texas Technology Task Force and th
  • ITS America student essay competition: deadline 14 April
    April 9, 2019
    The deadline for US college students to take part in ITS America’s annual essay competition is fast approaching – entries must be in by Sunday 14 April. The competition, sponsored by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), invites students of transportation, engineering and public policy to share ‘thought provoking’ visions for the future of transport. The topic is: ‘How do you envision disruptive technologies impacting transportation systems to make them safer, greener or smarter over the next 10 years?’ U