Emissions from transportation make up about a third of all greenhouse gas emissions in the US. Trucks and buses emit a disproportionate amount, contributing to air pollution, lung disease, and climate change. We must reduce emissions from the transportation sector while also cleaning up the electric grid, for our health and that of the planet. A recent study by the American Lung Association calculated that “Changing America’s fleet of trucks and buses to run on electricity while, at the same time, changing the nation’s power grid to renewable fuels could prevent 67,000 premature deaths by 2050.” Read a summary of the study here, or download the full study here.
Illinois should sign on to the Multi-state Medium and Heavy Duty Zero Emission Vehicle Memorandum of Understanding, as the House Transportation Committee suggested in a Resolution to the Governor in May of 2021. This would ensure more availability of electric medium and heavy duty vehicles in our state, and provide a roadmap to reduce emissions from this sector.
