Massachusetts Commission Mulling EV Tax Credit Elimination For Purchases Over $60,000 — Here’s What You Can Do

The Massachusetts Zero Emission Vehicle Commission will be mulling the elimination of the state’s electric vehicle tax credit for purchases over $60,000 tomorrow morning, following a proposal by a staffer with the commission, according to an email sent to EV Obsession and CleanTechnica by Alan Langerman of Climate XChange.

Those who think that the tax credit should remain applicable to purchases above $60,000, and who are interested in making your opinion on the matter known to those in the commission, have a number of options available to you, but all will require hurrying since the meeting is early tomorrow.

The recent email provided some options as far as that goes. Here’s an overview:

• If you know someone on the commission (see the list at the bottom of the page), then email/call/fax them, letting them know what you think about the proposal.
• Send an email directly to Linda Benavides, at linda.benevides@state.ma.us (as noted in the email, if doing so, remember to be polite).
• Join others going to the meeting tomorrow in person. The location is 100 Cambridge St, Boston, MA. And the date/time is of course Wednesday, November 18, at 10 am. The meeting will be on the second floor (in conference rooms B, C, and D). And the meeting is open to the public (though public comments won’t be taken as part to the meeting).
• Or… “If you can’t come to the meeting tomorrow — and, honestly, I have trouble imagining how most people could, with one day’s notice and the meeting happening during the prime working day — but you agree with the direction I’m heading on this issue, then please make me ‘your delegate’. Send me your name and if you can your PICTURE, and I’ll work up some kind of poster or handout for the commission that lists all of us by name and face so that they will know we are speaking out about the issue! I’m going to be sitting in the audience with a poster, such as Elon’s Secret Master Plan to get to the Model III, and if I know you are coming to the meeting I’ll bring some extra posters.” (Email: alanlangerman@me.com)
• And the option is also there of course to simply forward this information to others who might take a more direct action than you’re able to.

Here’s the list of 2015 Massachusetts Zero Emission Vehicle Commission Members:

• Chair, Secretary of EEA or Designee, Ned Bartlett, Undersecretary
• Assistant Secretary of EEA, Energy, Ron Gerwatowski
• Assistant Secretary of EEA, Environment, Dan Sieger
• Secretary of Transportation or Designee, Rob Garrity
• Commissioner of Energy Resources, Judith Judson
• Commissioner of MassDEP, Martin Suuberg
• Deputy Director of the Division of Standards, Charles Carroll
• Gina Fiandaca, Commissioner of Boston Transportation Department
• Vineet Gupta, Director of Planning
• Andrew Savitz, City of Newton
• Rep. of the Environmental Community: Jennifer Rushlow (Conservation Law Foundation, Mark LeBel (Acadia Center), Gina Coplon-Newfield (Sierra Club)
• Rep. of Business Community: Jeff Hyman (EMD Serono), Mark Foster (Tufts Health)
• Rep. of parking garage or lot owners or operators: Jong Wai Tomee (Mass Convention Center Authority)
• Rep. of an electric distribution company: Watson Collins (Eversource Energy), Fouad Dagher (National Grid)
• Franchised motor vehicle dealers with Class 1 license (recommended by Mass Autodealers Association): Scott Dube (Dube Hyundai), Robert Botch (Expressway Toyota)
• Rep. of a municipal light plant organization: Kim Boas (Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company)
• Rep. of EV charging infrastructure manufacturers: Colleen Quinn (ChargePoint), Dan Shanahan (EVSE LLC)
• Rep. of hydrogen fueling infrastructure manufacturers: Gus Block (Nuvera Fuel Cells, Inc.)
• Rep. of electric or fuel cell vehicle manufacturers: Kevin Kinnaw (Toyota), Tracy Woodard (Nissan), Alex Keros (General Motors)