PA ACT Business Support Letter - October 19, 2023

Dear Governor Shapiro:

As vehicle manufacturers and infrastructure providers ready to deploy zero-emission technologies in Pennsylvania, as well as major businesses, institutions, employers , investors, and business groups with significant investments in the state, we write to express our strong support for Pennsylvania to begin the rulemaking process for the adoption of the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule before the end of 2023.

In 2020, Pennsylvania joined over a dozen states in signing a joint memorandum of understanding (MOU), committing to electrifying and eliminating toxic air pollution from new medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (MHDVs) by 2050. In the Spring of 2022, the MOU signatory states released a draft Action Plan that highlights adoption of the ACT as a powerful tool to reach the MOU’s goals. Eight states have already adopted the ACT rule, including California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, and New Mexico are all in the process of adoption or have announced plans to begin the rulemaking process.

The ACT rule is designed to reduce costs of zero-emission MHDVs by requiring manufacturers to increase production volumes and model availability, which helps meet the needs of fleet operators across multiple vehicle classes and further develops the market for these vehicles in our state in a way that builds economies of scale. The ACT rule will also drive innovation and investment in clean transportation manufacturing and infrastructure deployment and make the state an even more desirable target location for federal clean energy investments. Pennsylvania is already the keystone to an I-80 fast charge corridor, and adoption of ACT will further encourage development of that critical infrastructure and enable cost-effective electrification of MHDVs at the pace and scale needed to meet climate and air quality goals, while delivering public health and economic benefits for communities and businesses alike.

As Governor, you have made clear your commitment to advancing clean energy and protecting the health and economic well-being of Pennsylvania communities, and zero-emission MHDVs can play a critical role in achieving those objectives. Increased access to cost-effective zero-emission MHDVs will allow the commonwealth to remain competitive in a market where our customers, investors, patients, and employees increasingly expect us to lead on sustainability. Zero-emission vehicles offer significant cost savings through lower fuel and maintenance costs and reduce the risks associated with the volatility of fossil fuel prices and supply. MHDV electrification will support domestic innovation and investment in clean technology manufacturing—creating new domestic jobs, cutting costs for our value chains, mitigating climate risk, improving public health, and reducing healthcare costs.

By adopting ACT, Pennsylvania can help overcome challenges to MHDV electrification like higher upfront costs, vehicle availability, and a lack of charging infrastructure. ACT will provide market certainty and spur investments in zero-emission MHDVs, chargers and vehicle depot infrastructure. This will rapidly accelerate thelong-term cost savings, climate, and clean air benefits of MHDV electrification. The more states that adopt, the greater the market-forcing benefits, thereby lowering costs and creating a more stable and self-sustaining market. However, states that lag in adoption run the risk of fewer zero-emission MHDVs available for sale as manufacturers send inventory to the adopters – a dynamic that has already played out with light duty electric vehicles.

We strongly support adoption of the ACT rule in Pennsylvania to accelerate MHDV electrification, help the state meet the goals outlined in Executive Order 2019-1, allow both manufacturers and fleet operators to capture savings from economies of scale and provide more cost-effective emissions reductions.

Sincerely,
ABB
Arrival
BYD
ChargePoint
Eaton
Freewire
Highland Electric Fleets
InductEV
IKEA
Kleanbus
Lion Electric
Nikola
Proterra
Rivian
Siemens
TerraWatt Infrastructure
Tesla
Zeem Solutions