Oregon must do more to help its trucking industry to reduce its carbon footprint, according to a new state report.
Trucks, vans and buses produce a disproportionate amount of Oregon’s carbon emissions. In response, the state government is urging owners to switch to electric or hydrogen powered vehicles.
However, Morgan Schafer with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality said few have transitioned so far, due to high up-front costs and a lack of charging stations.
Now, the DEQ and the Oregon Department of Transportation are advising lawmakers to create more financial incentives for companies to develop infrastructure and purchase new vehicle fleets.
Schafer said the state must start now to reach its emission targets by 2035.
“We need to be thinking now about 10 years from now, because that's what our fleet owners need. They need that time.”
Schafer said state lawmakers will need to locate long-term funding for these ideas to move forward.
