MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Public officials and environmental advocates are calling on federal legislators to support clean transportation and related infrastructure in the bipartisan infrastructure measure.
Organizers held a rally last week in Monongalia County asking for investment in new vehicle technology and efforts addressing climate change.
Members of the U.S. Senate are considering a proposal that includes $550 billion in new spending on infrastructure issues, including repairing and upgrading bus and rail fleets as well as supplying school districts with thousands of electric buses.
“The majority of the vehicles sold in the future are going to be electric vehicles,” Delegate Evan Hansen, D-Monongalia, said. “All the jobs that are created to build out that infrastructure and to build the vehicles, we want to capture as many of those jobs in West Virginia as we can.”
Hansen said the United States needs to undergo tremendous efforts to decrease emissions, emphasizing the threat of climate change.
“There’s still a lot of work to be done,” he added.
“The technology is improving day-by-day. I know they’re being used elsewhere, and I know they could be used in West Virginia, too.”
The Senate is expected to vote this week on the bipartisan infrastructure deal. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., is part of the bipartisan group that negotiated a deal with the White House.