The Hillsborough County Commission has unanimously approved a resolution
to move forward with a program that encourages the use of electrically
powered vehicles.
The commission has elected to
take part in
Project Get Ready, a national
initiative that aids cities in switching from gas-powered to electric
vehicles (EVs). According to County Commissioner Rose Ferlita, the
regional initiative will be led locally by the
Tampa Regional Planning
Council."Project Get Ready is a great fit
for what we have already put in place and continue to expand here in
Hillsborough County," says Ferlita. "Our sustainability efforts include
focusing on a countywide alternative transportation vehicle plan that
includes electric as well as natural gas vehicles.
According
to Ferlita, the project's goals include:
*
attracting original equipment manufacturers to Tampa Bay
*
educating the public about the positive economic impact and potential
growth in green jobs a communitywide switch to EVs may offer
* reducing vehicle and total green house gas emissions
*
increasing use of alternative and/or innovative energy and decreasing
dependence on traditional fuel sources
Research
indicates that one electric car reduces carbon emissions by
approximately 66 percent and costs less than $1 a day to drive.
According to the Get Ready website, Tampa Bay is a case study in which
challenges such as coordinating utilities will be addressed and
hopefully serve as a best practices model for other cities to embrace
electrically powered vehicles.
"Transportation
is a key component," says Ferlita. "Not only for Hillsborough County
but for the entire Tampa Bay region. We're looking at multimodal and I
support that. But, we must also look at 'multifuel' opportunities as we
move forward."
Writer:
Missy Kavanaugh
Source:
Rose Ferlita, Hillsborough County Commission
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