Connecticut aims to reduce air pollution with EV chargers for commercial trucks

Across the United States, an estimated 72 million people live near truck freight routes , increasing their exposure to potentially harmful air pollution.

In the years ahead, Connecticut and a group of other nearby states will work to clean up the air around busy highways, with the goal of reducing emissions from trucks that transport commercial goods throughout the region.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently awarded nearly $249 million to a coalition of northeast states to support development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure for medium- and heavy-duty commercial trucks. The so-called “Clean Corridor Coalition,” which includes Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland, will use the money to deploy EV chargers along Interstate 95, and also to provide technical assistance for workforce development and corridor planning, according to the EPA.

The project is one of three benefitting Connecticut that will receive funding from the EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program, part of the Inflation Reduction Act, signature legislation signed by President Joe Biden in 2022 that provides major investments in clean energy, green technology and other climate change initiatives.

David Cash, EPA administrator for the New England region, said funding to develop vehicle charging infrastructure along I-95 is expected to be approved and finalized by this fall.

“We’ll start seeing the technology there soon,” Cash said, speaking Monday at an event in Connecticut. “And we’ll see the benefits accrue to all of the mid- to heavy-duty vehicles that we know cause the worst pollution.”

Connecticut’s transportation sector is the state’s biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions , which contribute to climate change. And the state’s air pollution isn’t improving, according to a study released by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection this spring .

Highway emissions are a particular concern for disadvantaged communities, as people of color and those from low-income households are more likely to live near truck freight routes, according to the EPA. Redlining and highway placement play a role in those disparities.

The Biden administration previously announced a goal to ensure 40% of the benefits from federal investments in climate change, energy, housing and certain other policy areas benefit communities overburdened by pollution .

Several parts of Connecticut experience unhealthy levels of ozone smog, according to the American Lung Association. Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex and New London counties received “F” grades for ozone pollution in the association’s 2024 “State of the Air” report. It found those counties have an average of more than three days per year with high levels of ozone. Fairfield County was the worst region for ozone pollution in the entire eastern half of the country, according to the report.

The EPA’s decision to fund EV chargers along the northeast corridor comes after the federal agency set new emission standards in March for a number of trucks and large vehicles.

“These projects not only advance our region’s clean energy transition and create good jobs, but also deliver significant benefits to Connecticut communities by improving air quality, reducing energy costs, and fostering environmental justice,” Cash said in a prepared statement. “By working together, the New England partners are setting a powerful example of regional cooperation and innovation in tackling climate change.”

This story was first published July 30, 2024 by Connecticut Public.