CURE (Clean Up the River Environment)

Clean Cars Comment Form

**The Comment Period for Minnesota Clean Cars is now CLOSED.**

Thank you for your interest in the Minnesota Clean Cars rule and in the future of clean energy and transportation. Please stay connected with CURE to learn more about the progress of the Clean Cars rule and our other work.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is in the process of adopting a Minnesota Clean Cars rule. As part of the rulemaking process, MPCA asks Minnesotans to comment on the proposed rule. Use CURE’s Clean Cars Comment Form below to submit your comment to MPCA. You can also directly submit comments to the MN Office of Administrative Hearings.
Questions? Contact Anne at CURE or 320-269-2984.

Sample Clean Cars Comments:

CURE has written draft comments to help you get started. Feel free to copy, paste, and personalize the comments. Everyone has their own reason for supporting Clean Cars. Comments should show a need for the rule and reasonableness of the rule.

Parent
  • I want my kids to breathe cleaner air. The Clean Cars standard will reduce harmful emissions from vehicles and clean up the air we all breathe. This will especially benefit the most vulnerable Minnesotans like our kids.
  • I want to reduce climate pollution for the sake of my children’s future. Climate change is threatening Minnesota lives and livelihoods, and we need to act now to before it’s too late. Transportation is Minnesota’s number one source of climate pollution. This is the perfect place to reduce our impact on the climate.
Grandparent
  • I want my grandkids to breathe cleaner air. The Clean Cars standard will reduce harmful emissions from vehicles and clean up the air we all breathe. This will especially benefit the most vulnerable Minnesotans like our grandchildren. Cleaner air also helps older folks like me who at higher risks for health complications from dirty air.
  • I want to reduce climate pollution for the sake of my grandchildren’s future. Climate change is threatening Minnesota lives and livelihoods, and we need to act now to before it’s too late. Transportation is Minnesota’s number one source of climate pollution and is a great place to reduce our climate impact. My generation helped to make the problem, and now it is up to us to fix it. I want to reduce climate pollution for the sake of my grandchildren’s future. Climate change is threatening Minnesota lives and livelihoods, and we need to act now to before it’s too late. Transportation is Minnesota’s number one source of climate pollution and is a great place to reduce our climate impact. My generation helped to make the problem, and now it is up to us to fix it.
Youth / Student
The climate crisis is real, and we are at a turning point. The future is in our hands, and we need to make smart decisions now, like adopting a Clean Cars standard. It addresses transportation, Minnesota’s number one source of climate pollution. My generation is the one that is going to live with the impact of a changing climate. My generation should have the biggest say in policies like Clean Cars.
Young Adult / College Student
As a newly licensed driver, a Clean Cars standard has a chance to make the biggest impact on my life more than other Minnesotans. I don’t want my driving to contribute to the climate crisis, and currently, cars and trucks are our main source of climate pollution. The Minnesota I live in is already so different from that of my parents because we are already living with the effects of climate change. Don’t continue to make the situation worse by staying with the inadequate status quo.
Business Owner
I’m a business owner, and I support a Clean Cars standard in Minnesota. Clean Cars will help grow Minnesota’s economy. This is especially pressing as the state continues to deal with the COVID economic crisis. We need to support our growing clean energy economy, and Clean Cars does this.
Healthcare Professional
  • I’m a (name role in the health field). Every day I see the harmful effects of dirty air on my patients, especially those most vulnerable, including children and the elderly. Even in a rural community, poor air quality exacerbates asthma and other health conditions. I support a Clean Cars Standard because I want Minnesota’s air to be cleaner for everyone. This is especially true in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic that significantly affects the respiratory system.
  • Climate change impacts from extreme heat to diseases carried by ticks and other insects and other extreme weather events have a multiplier effect on various health conditions. I support Clean Cars because we need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions from transportation to reduce the impacts of climate change on the health of Minnesotans.
Rural Minnesotan
  • A Clean Cars standard means everyday cost savings for Minnesotans every time we drive. Living in rural Minnesota means driving long distances for work, school, healthcare, groceries, and friends. Gas bills add up quickly, so we have the most to gain from Clean Cars.
  • In the next few years, every major car brand is planning to release an electric pickup truck, and many are releasing electric SUVs. These are the vehicles of choice in rural places, and we want to have the ability to buy them in Minnesota. A Clean Cars Standard will help guarantee the availability of more EVs here. Rural Minnesota needs this rule.
  • Rural Minnesota is often forgotten when it comes to adopting new technologies. In 2020, many of our communities still struggle with decent internet access, which hurts businesses and schools. Rural Minnesota needs to be included in the adoption of Clean Cars and EVs just as much as the Metro. We need sensible statewide policies like Clean Cars to ensure rural Minnesota isn’t left behind again.
Renewable Energy Advocate
I’m a renewable energy advocate, and I support a Clean Cars standard. Minnesota will never be an oil-producing state. However, we can produce a lot of clean, renewable wind and solar power. Clean Cars will make it easier for Minnesotans to drive electric vehicles, and these EVs can be charged with Minnesota made power! As we continue to clean up our electricity mix, more and more of our power can come from local sources. We can pay our local businesses and neighbors to fuel our cars instead of paying other countries or large multinational corporations. This is a huge economic opportunity for Minnesota that we can’t pass up. Another benefit: Minnesotans can reduce our climate pollution at the same time. Clean Cars is a win-win-win for all Minnesotans.
Farmer
  • I’m a farmer, and I support a Clean Cars standard for a couple of big reasons: climate change impacts, everyday cost savings, on-farm renewable energy generation potential, and access to new electric pickup trucks.
  • Each year the weather conditions Minnesota farmers endure are getting weirder and weirder. This isn’t a blip; this is climate change. We need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the board, and transportation is a great place. Clean Cars will help to reduce Minnesota’s top source of climate pollution: our cars and trucks.
  • The farm economy is up and down, and margins continue to get tighter. We need to cut costs any way we can, and reducing transportation costs is a big one. It’s the norm that a farm spouse works off the farm, and daily commutes costs are a reality. Clean Cars can help to save rural drivers money every day.
  • Many farmers across Minnesota are interested in on-farm renewable energy generation from wind turbines and solar panels as another income stream. Clean Cars will help increase the number of EVs that can be powered by locally produced, clean Minnesota electricity.
  • Pickup trucks are synonymous with farming. Since their advent, they’ve been powered by diesel or gas and, more recently, biofuels. However, powerful trucks that can be powered by electricity sound appealing. No trips to the gas station or farm fuel tank and a big boost to the bottom line. It’s even more exciting to think my truck could directly power tools around the farm and out in the field. Technology continues to revolutionize farming, and electric trucks are poised to be another example of this. Right now, EVs are tough to find at rural car dealerships. Clean Cars will increase access to all kinds of electric vehicles, including electric pickup trucks.
Wants to see rural economic opportunity
  • Rural Minnesota is often forgotten when it comes to adopting new technologies. In 2020, many of our communities still struggle with decent internet access, which hurts businesses and schools. Rural Minnesota needs to be included in the adoption of Clean Cars and EVs just as much as the Metro. We need sensible statewide policies like Clean Cars to ensure rural Minnesota isn’t left behind again.
  • Transportation is key to maintaining and growing our rural economy. Maintaining roads and bridges is one part of this equation, but affordable transportation is another big part. I support Clean Cars standards because they will save Minnesota drivers money every day. More EVs on Minnesota roads also mean widespread adoption of EV charging infrastructure throughout the state, especially in rural places. We need this critical infrastructure for tourism, but we also need it for day-to-day commerce.
  • We want drivers to be able to buy the vehicles they want locally. In the not-so-distant future, the most sought-after vehicles will be EVs. A Clean Cars standard will help ensure Minnesotans can buy all types of electric vehicles in Minnesota.
South Dakotan / North Dakotan
I live in eastern South Dakota/North Dakota, and I support Minnesota’s Clean Cars standards. It might seem weird for an out of state person to have an opinion on Minnesota policy. However, Clean Cars will benefit me too. My state is not forward-looking when it comes to transportation and climate policy. Because Minnesota is, now I will be able to drive a reasonable distance to the nearest Minnesota car dealership and purchase more efficient vehicles and EVs! Clean Cars standards give me more vehicle choice—transportation options that will help me save money and lower my carbon footprint.
Rural Electric Co-op member-owner
I’m a Rural Electric Co-op member-owner, and I support a Clean Cars Standard. Clean Cars offers the opportunity for electric utilities to sell more electricity and sell more electricity during the times of day when there is surplus, cheap electricity, like in the middle of the night. Especially for small electric co-ops, it offers the opportunity to lower electricity prices for all members.
EV owner
I drive an electric vehicle, and I’ve been able to experience the “future of driving.” I support a Clean Cars standard because I want all other Minnesotans to have the opportunity to drive EVs too. As an EV driver, I have reduced maintenance costs, low “fuel” costs, no trips to the gas station in the dead of winter, and I get to reduce my carbon footprint a lot. I never want to buy an internal combustion engine vehicle again. Clean Cars will make it much easier for me to find my next EV at a Minnesota car dealer. A Clean Cars Standard is a win for all Minnesotans.
Wants more vehicle choice
I support a Clean Cars standard because I want more vehicle choice. I want access to all kinds of cars and trucks, including a wider variety of EVs. Right now, many different types of EVs aren’t even sold in Minnesota. Instead, they go to one of the other states that have adopted a Clean Cars standard. In the next few years, companies like Ford, GM, Tesla, Rivian, and others have plans to release electric pickup trucks and SUVs. These vehicles are made for places like Minnesota, and we should have access to them just as much as Californians.
Hunter/Fisherman/Outdoors person
I support Clean Cars standards because I want to protect the Minnesota that I love. Climate change is already affecting Minnesota’s forests, lakes, wildlife, prairies, and streams. We need to act now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and cars and trucks are our main source of climate pollution. Clean Cars will help to reduce this as more Minnesotans have access to lower emissions vehicles and EVs.
Not Wealthy
My budget doesn’t have a lot of room for extras, and I look to save money any way I can. I support a Clean Cars standard because it will save drivers money every day by reducing fuel expenses and regular maintenance. I also want to see more EVs available throughout Minnesota because this means that there will be a growing market for used EVs in a few years, which will directly benefit people like me who can’t currently afford a brand-new Tesla. I want Minnesota to adopt policies like Clean Cars that make it easier for all Minnesotans to save money and be healthier.