Maine 128th Session, LD 1149 H.P 812

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

A bill related to raising more money for road infrastructure.
As usual, more proposals for fixed fees ($200!) for electric, hybrids (including PHEVs as hybrids) and HFCVs.
Some other nonsense in there too.

LD 1149, HP 812, Text and Status, 128th Legislature, First Regular Session

3 Democratic Reps' names on it.

 

[Bangor Bob]

I've shared a few thoughts with a senior-ish State Rep I know. He was receptive.

Among the ideas I conveyed:

1. The vast majority of a dollar spent on gasoline leaves the state. The majority of a dollar spent on electricity remains in-state.
2. Damage to roads is proportional to 4th to 5th power of axle weight - cars are not causing the majority of road damage.
3. Plug-ins hybrids and hybrids still require fuel, so $200 is a disincentive for consumers to "do the right thing" in their vehicle choice.
4. BEV's should contribute to the highway fund, but due to the 1st point it's not a zero-sum game. The dollar of lost gas tax due to a BEV is still "recoverable" by the state via existing taxes on other transactions, though that dollar may need to change hands within the state a few times.

 

[RiverBrick]

Is electricity not taxed in Maine?

 

[Gwgan]

Is electricity not taxed in Maine?

About $0.0024/kWh per my last bill. Much less than the proposed fees.

 

[Bangor Bob]

If they find untaxed electricity in your battery, you're in big trouble. They dye the untaxed electrons bright green.

 

[Gwgan]

If they find untaxed electricity in your battery, you're in big trouble. They dye the untaxed electrons bright green.

On site solar panels put those green electrons right into my car battery, but I think they know that already .

Maine applies sales tax above 750kWh per billing cycle. If the anti-net-meteering line is that it is a cost shift to rich solar owners then increasing electricity tax for roads would be called a cost shift to rich EV owners.

I did write my congressman. It’s too soon to put a disincentive in place. EV batteries result in disproportionally priced cars in their segment so more sales tax is a better idea. Love the higher gas tax as an EV incentive but it might damage tourism and analyzing that impact is above my pay grade.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Usual stuff to be expected (unfortunately).
Simple number-crunching would say how out of whack the proposed fees are.
Simple thought exercise tells you how stupid fixed fees are.
If they were even remotely proactive we'd already be working towards odometer-based fees, which are the only realistic, reasonable way of doing if electrification succeeds (although commercial high-mileage drivers might like a more detailed system).
In programming terms, odometer-based fees are very simple. VIN can already be used to give you the vehicle (BMV and towns already use VIN databases), odometer delta gives distance traveled.
In terms of programming and tracking it's pretty easy.
Not perfect, but neither are fuel taxes.
Then we would cease to have hand-wringing over the "problem" of improved efficiency.
PHEVs a bit of a pain, but with a wholesale changeover, it wouldn't matter.

 

[Gwgan]

Public hearing is Tuesday 4/11 Committee Information - Maine Legislature

 

[Gwgan]

The MEVA only just learned of this? Maybe they need to read TMC more often Maine 128th Session, LD 1149 H.P 812

Everyone who benefits from roads should help pay for them (general fund) and vehicles that damage them disproportionately should pay proportionately more. If only we could tax frost heaves.

 

[Gwgan]

Thank you for your testimony former representative ScotMaine and the folks at Eco-Friendly Auto Service | Paris Autobarn and Fred Garbo ( Solar Energy installer) and all the members of Maine Electric Vehicle Association and Barry Woods with ReVision Energy | Solar in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachussetts and Home - Electric Mobility NE .

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

I echo Gwgan's thanks to those who attended. I had prior commitments that day, otherwise I think I would have.

 

[Gwgan]

Tabled. LD 1149, HP 812, Text and Status, 128th Legislature, First Regular Session
The fees may appear in other bills.