Policy Plans
Racial Equity Federal Agenda 2022
” These recommendations will help provide a real framework, for real solutions to help make real change to Forster equity that expands opportunities for underserved communiteies and populations in energy, environment, transportation and public health. This is and important moment in history, we cannot become spectators or just consumers while these significant investments are being made in clean energy, transportation and the environment” – State Antoine M. Thompson, Executive Directory of the Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition
“There’s an urgency now to engage and elevate opportunities for vulnerable and frontline communities who have borne the brunt of transportation emissions due to historical and systematic injustices. This may be our only chance to leverage this transformational funding to accelerate multimodal EV adoption and workforce and economic development opportunities while also improving public health.” – Dr. Shelley Francis, Co-Founder of EVNOIRE
2022 Federal Priorities for Advancing Racial Equity in Energy, Environment & Transportation
Eight Key Points
1. Funding for targeted EV Education / Community Outreach & Marketing to Increase EV Adoption in BIPOC/Underrepresented Communities who are often impacted first and worst from transportation emissions.
2. Funding to increase Diverse Businesses in the E-Mobility Sector with research funding to explore the opportunities across sectors and the supply chain.
3. Targeted funding for technical assistance and grants for the support of E-Mobility Workforce & Economic Inclusion / E-Mobility HBCU / HSI Fellowship Programs.
4. Funding for Research, Data Collection, Monitoring & Evaluation of Multimodal Electrification (e.g. understanding the Public Health Impacts / Solutions specific to underrepresented and frontline communities)
5. Convening of E-Mobility Equity Policy Forums / Listening Sessions / Followed by Report (Outlining Action Items).
6. Request meeting/s with this group at a regular cadence with White House to foster an ongoing communications loop and ensure that initiatives are progressing – Potential working group
7. Connect with White House for a multimodal EV event during National Drive Electric Week in September 2022. EVHybridNoire is one of the four international organizers of this annual event.
8. Create provisions for diverse vendors, contractors, consultants and e-mobility businesses to make it easier to do business and receive federal / state certifications, contracts, and other business opportunities. Prompt payment, pre-bid meetings, and set-aside projects are a just a few suggestions to enhance opportunities for diverse businesses.
Discussion Members and Stock Holders
(Jill Hamilton ,Shelley Francis , Terry Travis, Kimberly Harden, Joshua Aviv, Paul Francis, Evette Ellis, Korey Neal, Sheryl E. Ponds , Luis MAcDonald, R. Denise Everson)
2022 Electric Vehicles For All Bill Proposal
Supporters:
Matt Petersen
President & CEO
Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator
Andrea Marpillero-Colomina Clean Transportation Advocate GreenLatinos
Katherine Garcia
Clean Transportation for All Campaign Director Sierra Club
Elizabeth Gore
Senior Vice President, Political Affairs Environmental Defense Fund
Leslie Aguayo
Climate Equity Program Manager The Greenlining Institute
Mac McKinney
Senior Advisor, Federal Government Affairs Edison International
Isaac Vanderburg CEO
Launch Alaska
Peter O’Connor Policy Director Plug In America
Chuck Feinberg
Executive Director
New Jersey Clean Cities Coalition
Alberto Ayala
Executive Director and Air Pollution Control Officer Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District
Wayne Nastri
Executive Officer
South Coast Air Quality Management District
Mary Leslie
President
Los Angeles Business Council
Heidi Sickler Director of Policy AMPLY Power
Jonathan Parfrey Executive Director Climate Resolve
Raj Dhillon
Senior Manager, Advocacy & Public Policy Breathe Southern California
Marc Carrel
President & CEO
The Emphysema Foundation of America
Paul Koretz
City Council Member City of Los Angeles
Jason Anderson President & CEO Cleantech San Diego
Travis Madsen
Transportation Program Director Southwest Energy Efficiency Project
Sven Thesen Founder
Project Green Home
Katherine Stainken
Sr. Director, EV Policy Electrification Coalition
Patrick Guild
Chief Operating Officer
Breathe California Sacramento Region
Kate Meis Wright
Executive Director
Local Government Commission
Ellie Cohen
CEO
The Climate Center
Aric Ohana
CEO
Envoy Technologies
Charles Griffith
Climate and Energy Program Director Ecology Center (Michigan)
Tom Knox
Executive Director
Valley CAN (Clean Air Now)
Active Discussions
GWRCCC Green Fair Job
June 28, 2022
Contact: Antoine Thompson, Executive Director, GWRCCC – 716-308-0945
Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition Hosting Green Jobs Fair
Washington, DC.— The Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition (GWRCCC), will host a Green Jobs Fair, promoting environmentally friendly jobs and companies. The event will take place on June 29, 2022, at the Frank D. Reeves Center of Municipal Affairs, 2000 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC. It will be open to the public, and anyone interested in sustainable jobs and/or environmental work is highly encouraged to attend.
There will be career opportunities in Air Quality, Water Quality, Waste Management, Environmental Education, Environmental Health, Electrical Engineering, Labor, Wildlife Ecology, Conservation Science, Agriculture & Food Science, Green Construction, Environmental Law, Customer Service, Assembly, Environmental Compliance, Renewable Energy, Environmental Justice, Sustainability Consulting, Environmental Engineering, EV Charging, Environmental Safety, Technicians/Mechanics.
“Green jobs represent the future. At this event, you will find employers that are eager for new employees, and believe in growing sustainable jobs that are beneficial to the local environment and community. These jobs are becoming more important as we work to adapt our country and economy to be more environmentally friendly in the face of climate change. The Green Jobs Fair will create opportunities for persons of every level of skill and education to have a career centered on the creation of a cleaner and greener city,” stated Antoine M. Thompson, Executive Director of the Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition
Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition (GWRCCC), focused on the Washington, D.C. metro area, one of nearly 80 coalitions in the U.S. that fosters economic, environmental, and energy security by working locally to advance affordable, domestic transportation fuels, energy efficient mobility systems, and other fuel-saving technologies and practices.
*Click on the picture to be directed to more information*
GWRCCC Message of Support for Lower Food and Costs Act (H.R. 7060).
June 28th 2022
To Whom It May Concern,
Good morning. My name is Antoine M. Thompson, Executive Director of the Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition (GWRCCC). Our Coalition is one of the 90+ Clean Cities Coalitions around the country supported by the US Department of Energy. We are a public-private partnership composed of representatives of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, the District government, regional governments, national trade associations, public and private companies and public utility companies including Washington Gas. We are headquartered in the District of Columbia and have programmatic responsibility for the region including District of Columbia, Northern Virginia, and Maryland.
The mission of our Coalition is to promote the use of clean domestic fuels to assure our nation’s and region’s climate security, energy independence and clean air by reducing our dependence on gasoline and diesel transportation fuels.
I personally have been engaged in the clean transportation work for more than 20 years, including being a New York State Senator and the former chair of the NY Senate Standing Committee on Environmental Conservation championing green initiatives, climate justice, and expanding access to and investments in public transit.
I am writing in strong support of the recently passed Lower Food and Costs Act (H.R. 7060).
GWRCCC strives to ensure a just and equitable clean energy transition which aligns with the Distribution System planning process to be done in an equitable way to produce reliable, future-oriented energy infrastructure.
The bill includes an amending of the Clean Air Act to allow for sales of gasoline with up to 15% ethanol as well as the necessary infrastructure grants to implement the change at the pump. Therefore, as an advocate for the increased use of cleaner alternative fuels such as E15, I offer my full endorsement. Beyond just promoting an expanded platform for cleaner alternative fuels, which invariably reduce existing emission levels and lower costs, H.R. 7060 also provides the required funding to modernize our fuel grid to better facilitate the transition to alternative fuel sources.
It is imperative that H.R. 7060 is signed into law and implemented immediately. Given the unprecedented cost of gas prices, this bill carries a sense of urgency for Congress and the president. Gas prices have had a devastating effect on working class families across the nation, who have often had to choose between the ability to go to work and paying for food or medicine. This bill takes a major step forward towards reducing fuel costs, and thus should be enacted with speed.
Sincerely,
Antoine M. Thompson
Executive Director
GWRCCC Message to Prince County Executive Alsobrooks
May 6th 2022
Hon. Angela D. Alsobrooks
Prince George’s County Executive
1301 McCormick Drive
Suite 400
Largo, MD 20774
Dear County Executive Alsobrooks,
I am writing on behalf of the Greater Washington Clean Cities Coalition (GWRCCC) to endorse Executive Order No. 5, issued on May 6, 2022. Our Coalition is one of the 90+ Clean Cities Coalitions around the country supported by the US Department of Energy. GWRCCC is a public-private partnership composed of representatives of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, the District government, regional governments, national trade associations, public and private companies and public utilities. We are headquartered in the District of Columbia and have programmatic responsibility for the region including the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia and Maryland. The mission of our Coalition is to promote the use of clean domestic fuels to assure our nation’s and region’s climate security, energy independence and clean air by reducing our dependence on gasoline and dirty transportation fuels.
GWRCCC commends you for your leadership in implementing some of the recommendations in the Prince George’s County Draft Climate Action Plan in Executive Order No. 5. Your directive for all Prince George’s County Agencies and County Funded Operations to adopt the Draft Climate Action Plan emission reduction goal of 50% below 2005 levels by 2030 is an important step towards achieving County-wide carbon neutrality as well as net-zero greenhouse gas emissions with the state of Maryland by 2045. It is imperative that these emission reduction goals be not only adopted, but also codified by County law in Prince George’s County Council legislation. Detailed plans for the achieving the aforementioned reductions should be mandated by the Council from each County Agencies and County Funded Operation.
GWRCCC also praises your initiative to create the Prince George’s County Climate Action Implementation Task Force and the Prince George’s County Resident Advisory Group for Climate Action and Environmental Justice under Executive Order No. 5. The combined efforts of these bodies to develop plans for the County’s climate resilience will serve as a model of government-public collaboration throughout the region. The establishment of the Prince George’s County Climate Action Implementation Task Force is significant in its incorporation of representatives from across County agencies and offices. The collective effort of the entire County government will be essential to delivering comprehensive and timely climate action to Prince George’s County.
Furthermore, the establishment of the Prince George’s County Resident Advisory Group for Climate Action and Environmental Justice signals the forthcoming enhancement of community participation and engagement. Direction under Executive Order No. 5 for the inclusion of members both from the Department of Environment in the County government and from the community at large promises greater transparency and representation in the future climate action in Prince George’s County. GWRCCC recommends that the Prince George’s County Resident Advisory Group for Climate Action and Environmental Justice not only convene among themselves at least quarterly, but also that the Group meets with Prince George’s County Climate Action Implementation Task Force on the same interval in order to maintain unity in climate action in the County. Additionally, as a resident of Prince George’s County, I welcome the opportunity to serve on the Prince George’s County Resident Advisory Group for Climate Action and Environmental Justice.
Finally, GWRCCC thanks you for your commitment to promoting residential and community resilience to increasingly frequent and severe weather events related to climate change. We recommend that this priority be conveyed in future implementation plans for the Prince George’s County Draft Climate Action Plan; measures to ensure equitable provision of resources to improve residential and community resilience should be explicitly outlined in Climate Action Plan Implementation Plans. As BIPOC and underrepresented communities often bear the greatest burden from severe weather and natural disasters, County efforts to improve residential and community resilience should be made in these communities first.
Thank you again for your commitment to climate action and for your dedication to equity and environmental justice in Prince George’s County.
Sincerely,
Antoine M. Thompson
Executive Director
Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition
Electric Vehicle Panel At NY State Diverse Legislators Conference
April 8th 2022
Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition in conjunction with EVHybridNoire , Lime and NYSERDA spoke as a diverse collection of representatives.
2022 EPA’s Clean Bus Program
April 5th 2022
Environmental Protection Agency 1200 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W. Washington, DC 20460
To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing on behalf of the Greater Washington Clean Cities Coalition (GWRCCC) to comment on the EPA’s Clean Bus funding program. Our Coalition is one of the 90+ Clean Cities Coalitions around the country supported by the US Department of Energy. GWRCCC is a public-private partnership composed of representatives of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, the District government, regional governments, national trade associations, public and private companies and public utility companies including Washington Gas. We are headquartered in the District of Columbia and have programmatic responsibility for the region including District of Columbia, Northern Virginia and Maryland. The mission of our Coalition is to promote the use of clean domestic fuels to assure our nation’s and region’s climate security, energy independence and clean air by reducing our dependence on gasoline and diesel transportation fuels.
Firstly, increasing federal funding for clean school buses is a critical objective in protecting the health and wellness of children, especially in underserved communities. Bus depots are more likely to be located in underserved communities, and consequently it is in these neighborhoods that buses spend a disproportionate amount of time idling, driving, and emitting toxic exhaust. Therefore, the health consequences of diesel school buses fall largely on children in underserved communities. Additionally, children in underserved communities are more likely to ride the bus to school as opposed to being dropped off by their parents. A study published by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in 2001–over two decades ago–found that children riding in diesel school buses are exposed to four times the level of toxic exhaust as children riding in a car, and that because of these exhaust levels children riding diesel school buses are subject to 23-46 times the cancer risk considered significant under federal law. Children from low-income families also have an elevated prevalence of asthma (11% in families below the poverty threshold compared to 9% in families above the threshold and 6.8% in families making twice the threshold), which increases susceptibility to respiratory problems caused by air pollution exposure. Students with asthma missed 13.8 million days of school in 2013, making uneven asthma prevalence not only an issue of health equity but an issue of education equity.
Secondly, the GWRCCC seeks not only to underscore the NRDC study’s recommendation that federal, state, and local governments make significant additional funding available for the purchase of cleaner alternative fuel school buses, but also to emphasize that these governments must ensure that the underserved communities which are most in need and suffer the greatest consequences of air pollution are the beneficiaries of this funding. From an equity lens, the neglect of this point compounds the injustices long borne by underserved communities, most notably the impacts of air pollution from highways which were systemically sited in poor and minority communities. Electric school buses represent the cutting edge of green technology, and equitable access to this technology must also be considered as a contributor to equitable access to health and education.
Finally, by focusing funding efforts on retrofitting diesel buses (to electric)–which costs one-third to one-half the price of new buses– governments can deliver the benefits of better environmental health to a greater number of communities and help underserved communities reach sustainability goals sooner, thus accelerating improvements to the health and wellness of kids, families and communities.
Thank you for considering our comments. For further questions, please contact me at 202-671-1580.
Sincerely,
Antoine M. Thompson
Executive Director
Greater Washington Clean Cities Coalition (GWRCCC)
2022 Transportation and Environment Budget Hearing
March 29, 2022
Dear Chair Cheh and members of the Transportation and Environment Committee,
Good morning.
My name is Antoine M. Thompson, Executive Director of the Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition (GWRCCC). I am also a homeowner in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Our Coalition is one of the 90+ Clean Cities Coalitions around the country supported by the US Department of Energy. We are a public-private partnership composed of representatives of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, the District government, regional governments, national trade associations, public and private companies and public utility companies including Washington Gas. We are headquartered in the District of Columbia and have programmatic responsibility for the region including District of Columbia, Northern Virginia and Maryland.
The mission of our Coalition is to promote the use of clean domestic fuels to assure our nation’s and region’s climate security, energy independence and clean air by reducing our dependence on gasoline and diesel transportation fuels.
I personally have been engaged in the clean transportation work for more than 20 years, including being a New York State Senator and the former chair of the NY Senate Standing Committee on Environmental Conservation championing green initiatives, climate justice, and expanding access to and investments in public transit.
I am here to give testimony regarding the proposed city budget.
I would like to thank the Council and the various departments for their leadership in promoting alternative fuels in transportation. Thanks also to the Department of Energy for its past and present efforts in building alternative fuel corridors as well as to DOT, DDOT, DPW and DC Water for their support of EV charging, circulator buses and promoting biodiesel in vehicles.
First of all, GWRCCC strives to ensure a just and equitable clean energy transition. It is important to accelerate the investment of local dollars to address equity issues in the district including access to clean air in vulnerable and underserved communities. We know that food deserts and banking deserts exist in DC, but now there also exists charging deserts. Improving air quality in DC for all communities requires public investment in improving public charging throughout DC. GWRCCC asks the city to invest local resources into ensuring access to EV charging in DC’s public spaces in the next 24 months by installing charging stations at public parks, recreation centers, schools, libraries, senior centers, government buildings and train stations. We would like the Council and the Mayor to fund two pilot curbside charging projects, including signage indicating that access to charging is free and public.
Second, GWRCCC asks that the city invest in our SAVE Program. The SAVE (Support and Assistance for Vehicle Electrification) Program would provide financial assistance to homeowners, small businesses, individuals, and non-profits to retrofit homes and businesses for EV charging. SAVE would also provide financial assistance for individuals and businesses to purchase new and used electric vehicles.
Finally, GWRCCC asks the committee to create an Environmental Equity Commission to report to the council and the mayor annually on its environmental equity findings.
Thank you again for your time, your leadership, and your assistance.