North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper issued an executive order in October that aims to grow the state’s clean energy economy by accelerating the transition to zero-emission vans, trucks, and buses. The order will encourage economic development and job growth while advancing climate and environmental justice by reducing vehicle pollution, according to a press release from the Governor's Office.
Transportation accounts for approximately 36 percent of North Carolina’s total greenhouse gas emissions, with medium- and heavy-duty diesel vehicles among the largest contributors, Trey Gowdy, a research analyst at Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability, told The Daily Tar Heel.
“If we’re going to be successful in reducing transportation emissions, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles are going to be a key part of a mix of solutions in the transportation sector,” Gowdy said.
