KY: Molinaro says federal transit administration to ditch ‘carbon scam’

Newly confirmed Federal Transit Administration Administrator Marc Molinaro said Thursday that the agency has proposed updated guidelines to remove the “social cost of carbon” calculation as part of the rating criteria for transit grants under a federal capital investment program.

In a news release titled, “Federal Transit Administration to Ditch Green New Deal Carbon Scam, Move to Unleash American Energy,” Molinaro said the agency has proposed removing the carbon-reducing language from the Capital Investment Grants program, or CIG, the federal government’s largest discretionary grant program to fund transit capital investments, including heavy rail, commuter rail, light rail, streetcars, and bus rapid transit.

Molinaro, who was confirmed as FTA administrator earlier this month, is a former Republican Dutchess County Executive and House representative for the 19th Congressional District.

“President Trump charged the Department of Transportation with unleashing American energy so we can lower costs and grow the economy,” Molinaro said in a statement. “Under ( Department of Transportation) Secretary (Sean) Duffy’s leadership, we’re doing just that. These proposed actions remove unnecessary regulatory requirements and provide the best support possible for locally driven transit projects.”

The agency has requested feedback on the new standards to continue the process of updating CIG Policy Guidance, which provides direction to project sponsors pursuing CIG construction grants, an FTA news release said.

“Following feedback from our transit industry partners, FTA is proposing to remove the overly complex social cost of carbon calculation from the Environmental Benefits section of the CIG Policy Guidance,” the release said “Instead, FTA will revert back to a previously-used methodology that relies on the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA) National Ambient Air Quality Standards designation based on which city a transit project is located.”

Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger, who appeared before an Environmental Protection Agency panel Thursday, said the FTA proposal is disheartening.

Metzger, who is a longtime environmental activist, told the EPA panel not to weaken environmental protections.

“While the CIG program is not applicable to Ulster County, it is nonetheless concerning to see the abandonment of tools like the social cost of carbon estimates, which play a critical role in evaluating the long-term environmental and public health impacts of federal transit investments,” Metzger said in an email. “In Ulster County, we remain fully committed to advancing clean, efficient public transit solutions that reduce harmful emissions while improving transportation options for our residents.”

During his tenure as Dutchess County Executive and as a congressman, Molinaro supported several initiatives to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gasses.

In 2017, Dutchess County joined a Central Hudson program while Molinaro was county executive to purchase four all-electric vehicles at a 33% discount off the manufacturer’s price.

At the time, Molinaro said the purchase of the vehicles “goes hand in hand with our efforts to promote clean, renewable energy throughout Dutchess County.”

In 2019, Molinaro announced the state Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) had given the county a Bronze Level designation in the New York State-Certified Climate Smart Community program. Dutchess County and the Town of Red Hook, at the time, were the only local municipalities that had achieved any level of Climate Smart Community Certification designation.

Molinaro and County Legislature Chairman Gregg Pulver established the Climate Smart Communities Task Force in November 2018 to review the elements of the Climate Smart Communities program in order to certify Dutchess County as a Bronze Level CSC within 12-18 months.

“Dutchess County remains steadfast in its commitment to reducing our carbon footprint and protecting the environment for this generation and the ones that follow,” Molinaro said in the announcement. “Our county has taken numerous proactive steps to become less dependent on fossil fuels, more energy-efficient, and to promote the use of clean energy, all of which mitigate our impact on our environment.”

In 2024, as a congressman, Molinaro introduced federal legislation to mitigate the negative environmental impacts of methane by incentivizing dairy farmers to adopt clean energy practices.

Molinaro’s office did not answer a question about his previous environmental record.

© 2025 Daily Freeman, Kingston, N.Y.
Visit www.dailyfreeman.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.