A transition to electric vehicle manufacturing could lead to\u00a0thousands of new jobs for Indiana, while the shift to zero-emission vehicles could provide billions of dollars in public health benefits, according to new studies.<\/p>\n
But with all that potential\u00a0comes some very big challenges.<\/p>\n
Auto industry workers fear the transition could leave them out of jobs if they\u2019re not properly trained.<\/p>\n
Environmental experts say manufactures must find a\u00a0more holistic approach that moves away from a legacy of\u00a0pollution that disproportionally affects low-income and minority neighborhoods.<\/p>\n
State and local officials, meanwhile, need to act quickly to keep up with neighboring\u00a0states such of Michigan and Ohio in the race to\u00a0capitalize on the new opportunities that could be transformative for the Indiana economy and environment.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n
\u201cWe are really kind of at a fork in the road when it comes to significant investments in the state,\u201d state senator J.D. Ford said. \u201cWe\u2019re not going to see another opportunity on EV infrastructure as we have now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scrub Hub:<\/strong>Why doesn’t Indiana have a car emissions inspection program?<\/a><\/p>\n The MIT Roosevelt Project recently released its study on the future of the auto industry as it transitions into electric vehicles and found Indiana, Michigan and Ohio could see 3.1 million new jobs \u2014\u00a0265,000 of them in manufacturing \u2014\u00a0over the next 30 years if the right federal policies are put in place.<\/p>\n Other job sectors that also would benefit include dealerships, repair and maintenance, and auto parts stores.<\/p>\n \u201cWith a strong, worker-friendly policy framework in response to the climate crisis, electrification of the motor vehicle sector could bring an exciting new era of shared prosperity to Industrial Heartland communities,” David Foster, of the MIT Roosevelt Project, said in a statement.<\/p>\n Gov. Eric Holcomb and the state legislature recently formed an Electric Vehicle Production Commission\u00a0to draw from experts around Indiana to formulate a path forward.<\/p>\n Ford, a Democrat from Indianapolis who sits on the commission, said he hopes the group can put forward policy recommendations in a final report within a year or so.<\/p>\n Michigan and Ohio are lightyears ahead of Indiana when it comes to electric vehicle production, Ford said. With\u00a0federal funding now coming in, he said, Indiana must get serious about charting the state’s role in the new industry.<\/p>\n\n \u201cIndiana is going to receive $100 million for EV charging, and more will be available in grant funding,\u201d Ford said. \u201cThe work we are doing is critical.\u201d<\/p>\n The money Ford mentioned is part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act the U.S. Congress passed in November.<\/p>\n The Roosevelt Project\u2019s report published just before another study done by the American Lung Association, which found a transition to zero-emission vehicles in Indiana would generate $36.8 billion in public health benefits.<\/p>\n\n Transportation is the leading contributor to air pollution and climate change, Tiffany Nichols, director of advocacy for the association, said in a statement.\u00a0Fuel combustion also is \u201ca major contributor\u201d to health burden across the U.S., the report says, and moving toward zero-emissions would reduce harmful pollutants like greenhouse gasses.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need Indiana\u2019s leaders to act to implement equitable policies and invest in the transition to healthy air,\u201d Nichols said.<\/p>\n More:<\/strong>How extra money from Biden’s infrastructure law will be spent for Central Indiana roads<\/a><\/p>\n The cumulative health benefits for Hoosiers by 2050 include avoiding more than 3,000 pre-mature deaths, the study says. The lung association used statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency to calculate mortality.<\/p>\n While cutting pollution rates would benefit all Americans, the study notes current emissions also create public health and environmental disparities in lower-income communities and communities of color.<\/p>\n Jalonne White-Newsome, founder and CEO of Empowering a Green Environment and Economy, participated in the MIT study with a focus on how these communities are left behind.<\/p>\n The transition to electric vehicles is not just about the importance of jobs and putting new vehicles out to society, she said. The\u00a0process also must consider\u00a0the effect this transition will have on physical environments as well as the health of people.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fact of the matter is there are not a lot of Black and brown folks represented in the spaces and at the table of organizations and in a leadership position in local and state government, and that\u2019s where the problem lies,\u201d White-Newsome said.<\/p>\n The transition to zero-emission transportation should not move forward before taking care of legacy pollution and creating an equitable future for everyone, she said.<\/p>\n That work begins by capturing data relating to the health outcomes experienced by local populations, she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe also need data around transportation needs. How many of these public transport options are available to low-income communities and communities of color? Are there adequate bus lines running on clean energy? That is the kind of granular data we need to make the best decisions,\u201d White-Newsome said.<\/p>\n\n More:<\/strong>Indiana communities are looking up to trees to reduce the impact felt from climate change<\/a><\/p>\n More:<\/strong>Indiana to get $127 million to help clean up lead and other water projects across state<\/a><\/p>\n Public health is a key selling point to this transition, state senator Ford said. The transition will reduce emissions into the air, he said, which would be a huge benefit for Hoosiers. But the new commission has yet to have conversations about public health and environmental implications\u00a0in its first few meetings.<\/p>\n \u201cI definitely think it\u2019s something for us to consider and the whole goal of this EV commission is to look at everything in totality on how this will impact and affect the state,\u201d Ford said. \u201cI think it could be a potential topic for the commission to look at.\u201d<\/p>\n The commission meets again April 8, and Ford said now that the legislative session is over, the meetings will happen more often.<\/p>\n While Ohio and Michigan are moving\u00a0much faster than Indiana on the EV transition, Ford said the jobs the state will be competing for pay as well, and that\u00a0Hoosiers will benefit from the technology.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s one thing to build a plant, but if you don\u2019t have workers to work, that\u2019s a huge stalling point,\u201d the state senator said. \u201cHow will we scale up our workers? There\u2019s so much runway ahead of us to talk about.\u201d<\/p>\n David Konisky, a professor at the O\u2019Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University, studied workforce issues\u00a0for the MIT report.<\/p>\n\n He and his colleagues set out to understand how people in the communities and those working in the industry would be affected.<\/p>\n \u201cThe transition to EVs potentially has enormous ramifications for those working in auto plants and the communities,\u201d Konisky said. \u201cOur goal was to speak with them and learn about their perceptions of the transition.”<\/p>\n A big takeaway: There is a lot of anxiety and dread.<\/p>\n \u201cThey see some huge announcement or\u00a0commitments auto companies are making to move toward EV on rapid timelines, and they\u2019re concerned about what it means for them and their families and communities,\u201d Konisky said. \u201cThe impending doom for them is very prominent.\u201d<\/p>\n Workers are worried they may lose their jobs, or not be selected for the training needed to work in EV plants. Some have spent most of their lives working for these companies, Konisky said, and they feel like there\u2019s a potential they\u2019ll be left out in the transition.<\/p>\n There was optimism, however, in the ranks of managers or community leaders.<\/p>\n \u201cThose folks viewed the changes that were occurring as opportunities for communities and a chance to revitalize the economy and be part of the future economy where EVs are a big part of success,\u201d Konisky said.<\/p>\n More:<\/strong>Rolls-Royce initiates $400M investment to upgrade Indianapolis, West Lafayette facilities<\/a><\/p>\n More:<\/strong>‘An extraordinary disruption’: Hoosiers struggle as COVID shutters schools and businesses<\/a><\/p>\n Still, Konisky and his fellow researchers said workers believe they deserve to build the next car, and this was going to be taken from them during a transition.<\/p>\n\n Konisky and his team come to much the same conclusion White-Newsome did in her work: Include everyone in the transition.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is a great deal at stake for workers and communities, in terms of how they will respond politically, with grave implications for public trust and social and economic integration,\u201d the IU report says. \u201cAt this critical moment, the voices of the people most affected by the coming transition should be foregrounded in discussions of policy change.\u201d<\/p>\n Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment\u00a0reporter. You can reach him at karl.schneider@indystar.com.\u00a0Follow him on Twitter\u00a0@karlstartswithk<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n IndyStar’s environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"From](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/03\/11\/PIND\/353bcf10-f865-4dc2-8cce-a59ae7acc5aa-Honda_plant_JRW09.JPG?width=660&height=453&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp\")
Benefits and pitfalls for public health<\/h2>\n
![\"Employees](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/03\/11\/PIND\/e0d09160-ee20-48c0-981c-9b38eeb4005c-Honda_plant_JRW10.JPG?width=660&height=446&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp\")
Training the workforce<\/h2>\n