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Environmental groups urge phased approach to Vermont mileage-based user fee; agency says federal grant and scale favor mandatory path
Summary
Witnesses from the Vermont Sierra Club and Vermont Natural Resources Council urged a voluntary, phased rollout of a proposed mileage-based user fee to avoid chilling EV adoption and to protect low-income drivers, while the Agency of Transportation said a federal grant and program scale favor moving toward a mandatory program with a capped transitional fee.
At a Senate Transportation Committee meeting held virtually, witnesses representing environmental and EV-advocacy groups urged senators to adopt a cautious, staged approach to a proposed mileage-based user fee (MBUF) for electric vehicles, arguing that an immediate mandatory program could deter EV adoption and disproportionately burden lower-income drivers.
Rob Kidd, chapter director for the Vermont Sierra Club, told the committee he was concerned a mandatory MBUF would “cause a chilling effect into people adoption” of EVs and asked how the state would deduct out-of-state miles and protect lower-income households (Rob Kidd). Johanna Miller, energy and climate program director at the Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC), and her colleague Evelyn Seidner recommended starting with a voluntary enrollment option or an increased flat fee while the state completes transition-plan reporting and public education.
The testimony laid out four…
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