Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue has turned down $320 million in federal money aimed at reducing tailpipe emissions, arguing federal transportation officials are overstepping their authority in the program.
Perdue on Nov. 13 notified U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg the state will not participate in the federal Carbon Reduction Program, a five-year, $6.4 billion effort focused on emissions that contribute to global warming.
The program was authorized in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a $1.2 trillion federal law intended to rebuild and invest in the nation’s transportation system.
Perdue wrote that “nothing within the (law) explicitly allows for federally-induced mandates for states to track, or achieve a certain level, of reduced CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions.”
Perdue added the U.S. Department of Transportation had not published or provided guidance “on the process under which the secretary will certify state transportation emissions reductions.”
“Rather than support the continued politicization of our roadways, FDOT’s (the Florida Department of Transportation’s) time, money, and resources will be focused on building roads and bridges — not reducing carbon emissions,” Perdue wrote.
Days after Perdue’s letter to Buttigieg, the White House on Nov. 22 announced a finalized performance measure for state transportation agencies to track transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions and set reduction targets. The performance measure does not impose penalties for missing targets.
“Every state has its own unique climate challenges, and every state ought to have the data, funding and flexibility it needs to meet those challenges head on,” Buttigieg said in Nov. 22 statement.
The program is part of $27 billion in the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act intended for carbon-reduction projects.
Ali DySard, senior policy specialist at the Environmental Defense Fund’s Florida Office, expressed disappointment in Perdue’s decision.
“This decision denies Florida residents significant financial benefits and cost-saving opportunities, impacting schools, municipal fleets and potentially saving hundreds of millions of residents’ dollars,” DySard said in a statement. “It also hinders initiatives that could have helped ensure port electrification, funding for non-motorized SUN (Shared-Use Nonmotorized) trails and the enhancement of infrastructure for long-haul commercial trucking, ultimately impeding the state’s readiness for the future of transportation.”
Florida has put forward plans to spend up to $46 million to build 26 truck-parking areas with commercial vehicle charging stations. The Legislature approved $200 million during this spring’s session to expand the SUN Trails system.
Meanwhile, the state Senate Transportation Committee on Wednesday and the House Transportation & Modals Subcommittee on Thursday will take up similar bills (SB 28 and HB 107) that would require electric-vehicle owners to pay a yearly registration fee, starting at $200, aimed at helping make up for lost gas-tax dollars.
A Senate staff analysis earlier this year said an increase in the use of electric vehicles could result in a 5.6 percent to 20 percent drop in “motor-fuel based revenue streams” by 2040.
Perdue’s letter came after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed $30 million that would have allowed state agencies to seek up to $346 million in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grants to improve energy efficiency in buildings.
“As highlighted in Florida’s recent response to a similar proposal by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Florida has the cleanest air on record, meeting or exceeding all EPA benchmarks, with emissions continuing to fall as fast as our state grows,” Perdue wrote in the letter.
–Jim Turner, News Service of Florida
Bailey’s Mom says
Unbelievable…Florida, come on! Let’s do more to protect our planet and our people!
But NO, thanks to these ignorant government officials they continue to move us backward..
Vote them out! We cannot go along with their, “you are free to die in Florida” motto. We deserve better!
JimboXYZ says
FL doesn’t have any car manufacturers to my knowledge. This is nothing more than forcing people into EV’s that simply are unaffordable that somehow the alternative is to go back to an emissions testing system of fraud & abuse. Repairs to exhaust systems & valve parts that are no more zero emissions than the manufacturers & EPA have been lying about for decades. Are ICE zero emissions or aren’t they ? More Biden Administration lies to require everyone to go get their car(s) tested like it’s Covid.
Steve says
Another Debby Downer comment from yours truly the peanut gallery XYZ. I realize its not all Wine and Roses but you’re just a negative Nelly IMO Good Luck
Laurel says
Auto emissions testing began in 1983. Ronald Reagan (R) was President. Congress passed the Clean Air Act in 1970. Richard Nixon (R) established the EPA in 1970. We have been passing legislature from then to now, yet you, once again, focus on Biden. Whatta shocker!
Bill C says
Florida may not have car manufacturers, but it does have hurricanes. What is more costly than losing everything?
In July, 2023, The Florida Insurance Guaranty Association (a Florida State agency) launched a $600 million municipal bond sale to backstop the state’s collapsing homeowners insurance market, along with new details of how toxic the homeowners market has become for carriers and how the publicly backed guaranty fund protecting policyholders has been upended. Imagine! FIGA has to borrow money to cover potential future claims, which means they assume greater future risk. And they are the insurer of last resort. As CO2 emissions go out of your tailpipe, you could be watching your life savings go with it.
Ray W. says
While I don’t completely disagree with JimboXYZ, or anyone else, when they complain about federal overreach of one type or another, nowhere in this article is it mentioned that anyone is about to be forced into purchasing BEV’s or to report to stations to have individual ICE emissions checked or to have to repair private automobile emissions equipment.
Given JimboXYZ’s long history of misrepresenting issues, in spite of his obvious capacity to do better than he actually does, I looked up a number of articles about the $6.4 billion Carbon Reduction Program. The program presents as promoting more efficient highway street lighting, promoting reduced emissions near seaports through use of electrified transport vehicles, promoting reductions in highway congestion, promoting bike and pedestrian trails, promoting the electrification of truck stops, and promoting improvements in transit, in part by wider use of electronic tolls.
It strikes me that improving transit efficiency and reducing congestion on major roadways will save motorists quite a bit of money. It seems that none of what JimboXYZ fears would ever come to pass if Florida had accepted the money. As a relevant and pertinent analogy, my son told me year after year that BNSF was investing billions of dollars in improving the efficiencies of its railway network. Railways were being torn up and completely rebuilt so that the average speed of all trains operating on a long stretch of rail would promote transportation efficiencies that saved BNSF far more in reduced fuel costs than it actually cost to rebuild the railways. If BNSF trains can travel from Denver to Chicago in far less time, then that stretch of rail can earn BNSF extra income. If 10 trains per day can transit the stretch of railway after upgrades, where eight could transit prior to the upgrades, more earnings for BNSF. Early in my son’s job, he reported that BNSF was once spending roughly 6% of its operating costs on diesel fuel. Later, when diesel fuel spiked during W’s second administration, diesel fuel expenditures jumped to over 20%. BNSF quickly instituted changes. One of my son’s good friends at BNSF tracks fuel use, recommending changes that can save millions. That’s all he does. More efficient transport on Florida’s highways could also save huge amounts of money.
As for the portion of Perdue’s letter quoted in the last paragraph of the article, since Florida is a peninsular-shaped state bordering two large bodies of water, with strong wind flows, since Florida has a limited heavy manufacturing base, and since Florida presents as a state with no real attractive qualities to motor vehicle manufacturers, I would expect Florida’s air to be clean when compared to the air present in other states. Perdue is arguing the obvious, but he is expending too much hot air in the effort. Florida attracts retirees, tourists, remote workers, individuals who want to avoid state taxes, and seasonal fruit and vegetable pickers; it has never attracted car manufacturers.
Pogo says
@Ray W.
Looking forward to what you may have to say about the newly announced budget fiasco.
@Whatever
XYZ, et al., you’re rolling in it now, don’t spend that 6% property insurance reduction on just a happy meal — save a little to use the same scale d j tramp uses to weigh his fat ass.
R.S. says
Come on, Jimbo Person: The Feds want to pay for our quality of life to improve. What’s the matter with your thinking here? What fears are riding you?
Ray W. says
Since JimboXYZ seems receptive to news about the rapidly changing battery electric vehicle (BEV) market, here’s the latest I could find.
Per the EIA, the United States currently produces 10% of the world’s BEV liquid-state lithium-ion batteries. China produces two-thirds of the world’s supply.
American, European and Japanese motor vehicle manufacturers are exposed on this issue, as China could simply cut off battery production. To illustrate this vulnerability, Toyota has released current motor vehicle sales percentages in the European marketplace. Currently, 71% of overall Toyota motor vehicle sales in Europe are either BEV, hybrid, or plug-in hybrid models. By the 2026 model year, Toyota will have 15 BEV models available for purchase, with total BEV sales expected to rise to 20% of the mix.
By the 2027 model year, Toyota expects to release its first-generation solid-state lithium metal battery for use in its BEV line-up. The new batteries will offer double the range and cost 20% less to produce than liquid-state lithium-ion batteries. Such batteries do not have to be produced in China. New factories can be built anywhere, including in the United States.
Toyota expects to release a second-generation solid-state battery shortly after its release of the first-generation battery, based on a lithium-iron-phosphate composition. This style of battery, per Toyota, is expected to add a further 20% in range and reduce manufacturing costs by an additional 40%.
Both of these new-generation battery styles offer quicker charging rates and require lesser quantities of lithium metal to manufacture, compared to current liquid-state lithium-ion batteries. Over the past decade or so, Toyota has been investing in solid-state battery research; it has gained thousands of patents over that time.
Toyota claims to have a third-generation solid-state battery in development, but it hasn’t released any expected specifications of that project. It is possible that the battery will be sodium-based, or perhaps even graphene-based, and will not use lithium at all. There are a number of sodium-based battery styles that are far along in development.
China, in other words, may not necessarily dominate the manufacturing side of the burgeoning solid-state lithium metal battery market and it may soon lose its grip on the liquid-state lithium-ion market, should such a battery style fade in efficiency.
Yes, I know that the horse and buggy crowd crowed every time a car owner hurt his arm hand-cranking his horseless carriage, but Cadillac put rest to that crowd when it introduced electric start into its line-up in 1909. We have never looked back. Yes, I have hand-cranked Mr. Cowart’s Peugeot in Balsam Grove in my youth, when his battery charge was low; it wasn’t that hard, once you made sure the crankshaft was barely past TDC.
Change is coming fast in the BEV transportation marketplace. What we believe is best today may be obsolete in a few years. But, if manufacturers can develop BEV models that can recharge in 10 minutes, can travel 600 miles on a charge, can be recharged 8000 times without degradation of battery efficiency, can cost far less than current battery manufacturing costs, and does not catch fire when damaged, no one will have to be forced to buy BEV’s. Scaling up production levels to current ICE levels will reduce costs all around.
Land of no turn signals says says
What a joke,clearing Florida of thousands of trees daily has no effect on carbon dioxide emissions? Let’s start with ALL the politicians and corporate big wigs and there jets.
Laurel says
DeSantis and his administration are dumb as a bag of rocks, imo. Why help citizens when he can help big oil? Priorities, right?
Chris says
Glad we have desantis running the state, he is one of the only few with brains left.
Whathehck? says
You are too funny! But I agree with you desantis has a little bit of brain left.
Laurel says
Chris: Oh yeah? Where’d he leave them?
dave says
Fed offer. It was written and approved in 2021, but here it is 2023, and end of year. Where was it in 2022. Did Perdue even read it.
“Rather than support the continued politicization of our roadways, FDOT’s (the Florida Department of Transportation’s) time, money, and resources will be focused on building roads and bridges —- not reducing carbon emissions,” Perdue wrote
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bipartisan-infrastructure-law/crp_fact_sheet.cfm
Laurel says
Miami (CBS Miami/AP) – “Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who killed a major publically-financed high-speed rail project, in his first year of office, has invested with his wife in a fund that has links to a private company building a new high-speed rail line [All Aboard Florida, Orlando to Miami and Tampa].
Scott, in 2011, rejected $2.4 billion the federal government offered the state to build a high-speed rail line to [Orlando to Miami and] Tampa. He said the project championed by President Barack Obama was too risky and predicted the state would wind up subsidizing the project because ridership and revenue projections were “Overly optimistic.””
Always looking out for us, aren’t they?
Endless dark money says
Fossil fuel companies pay big money to Florida Republicons and their campaign pacs to deflect and deny anything that would inhibit their destruction of the biosphere . Driving by a toxic waterway on toxic roads breathing toxic air what’s more Florida than that?