Broad Coalition Offers Plan To Accelerate Plug-In Electric Vehicles - Mar 13: A coalition including automakers, electric utilities, environmental groups, and state officials outlined joint recommendations to accelerate the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) nationwide. The PEV Dialogue Group, convened last year by the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES), presented its recommendations at a Washington, DC event featuring remarks by group members from General Motors, Southern California Edison, the State of Michigan, and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The action follows the President's announcement on March 7, for $1 billion to deploy advanced cars & trucks. The President's 4 part imitative the involves a new incentives and a research challenge that invests in breakthrough technologies to make electric vehicles as affordable and convenient to own and operate as gasoline-powered vehicles by the end of the decade [See WIMS 3/7/12]. The group's report, An Action Plan to Integrate Plug-in Electric Vehicles with the U.S. Electrical Grid, provides a roadmap for coordinated public and private sector action at state and local levels to ensure that PEV owners can conveniently plug in their cars without overtaxing the grid. It recommends steps to ensure compatible regulatory approaches nationwide, balance public and private investments in charging infrastructure, and better inform consumers about PEVs.
C2ES president Eileen Claussen said, "With plug-in electrics, we now have a mass-produced alternative to the internal combustion engine. This is a major opportunity to tackle both energy security and climate change, and to put American industries and workers out front on a truly transformative technology. But for PEVs to succeed, we need all the right parties working together. That's what this plan is all about."
Nearly 18,000 PEVs were sold in the United States last year; over the next year or two, all of the major automakers plan to have models on the road. Some PEVs like the Nissan Leaf rely entirely on battery power, while others like the Chevy Volt have small backup engines to extend their driving range [See WIMS 3/5/12]. Broad deployment of PEVs, which use little or no gasoline, can significantly reduce U.S. reliance on imported oil and curb harmful tailpipe emissions. If accompanied by the gradual decarbonization of U.S. electricity, PEVs can also significantly reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. But growth of the PEV market faces major challenges, including new infrastructure letting owners plug in at home and on the road while ensuring the reliability of the grid.
The PEV Dialogue Group's Action Plan includes recommendations to:
- Encourage state public utility commissions and other policymakers to establish a consistent regulatory framework nationwide to harmonize technical standards; streamline the installation of household and commercial charging stations; and use electricity rate structures to promote charging at off-peak hours.
- Assist local policymakers and stakeholders in assessing local needs, developing tailored strategies, and optimizing public and private investment in charging infrastructure.
- Provide consumers with reliable information on the costs and benefits of PEVs and the choices among PEV technologies.
Roland Hwang, transportation director at NRDC said, "Instead of policies that increase our addiction to oil, we need to provide Americans more transportation choices. Putting millions of electric vehicles on the road will cut drivers' fuel bills, help the auto industry, keep billions of dollars in the U.S. economy, and curb emissions of dangerous air pollutants. By working together across the political spectrum to enact this Action Plan, we can create a vibrant market for electric cars, restore U.S manufacturing leadership and create thousands of jobs."
Edward Kjaer, director of PEV readiness, at Southern California Edison, a major electric utility said, "The U.S. electrical grid is a national energy security asset and has the excess capacity, off-peak to support millions of electric vehicles right now. With the PEV Action Plan, C2ES has spearheaded an important effort that will help us all use this critical domestic resource for transportation and begin to reduce this nation's dependence on imported oil." Michael Robinson, VP of sustainability and global regulatory affairs at GM said, "GM is glad to work with groups such as C2ES that are working to advance the adoption of electric vehicles through real-world best practices and stakeholder education."
Orjiakor Isiogu, a member of the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) said, "It has been a pleasure to work with the other members of the PEV Dialogue Group and identify policies that will help seamlessly integrate plug-in electric vehicles with our electrical grid. I look forward to continuing my work within the group and helping it properly balance the needs of electricity customers and the opportunity presented by PEVs."
C2ES will work with the PEV Dialogue Group and others to promote implementation of the Action Plan. Over the coming months, C2ES is working with the Washington State Department of Transportation to advise transportation officials in seven states on steps to accelerate PEV adoption, and with the U.S. Department of Energy to support DOE-funded Clean Cities Coalitions working in dozens of communities across the country to develop local PEV deployment plans.
Access a release from C2ES and list of PEV Dialogue Group members (click here). Access an executive summary and link to the complete recommendations report (click here). Access a White House fact sheet on the $1 billion challenge with further details (click here). [#Energy/Electric, #Transport/PEV, #MITransport]
