National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program

The U.S. transportation sector accounts for one-third of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions—the largest share of all primary sectors, including electricity production, industry, commercial and residential, and agriculture. Electrified transportation has significant potential to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and help tackle the climate crisis.

Electrifying our transportation sector requires bold action to ensure the necessary infrastructure is in place for Americans to be able to ride and drive electric. According to a recent study from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1.2 million public
charging stations will be needed to support 33 million light-duty vehicles by 2030. The Infrastructure Investment …

X-Change: Electricity

In partnership with the Bezos Earth Fund, Global Optimism, and Systems Change Lab, RMI is pleased to present the first in a series of reports analyzing the exponential growth of renewable energy technologies globally. The series demonstrates why and how major areas of the energy system, from electricity and electric vehicles to hydrogen and heat pumps, are achieving further market penetration and getting us closer to global climate goals, faster than many realize.

In X-Change: Electricity, RMI’s Kingsmill Bond, Sam Butler-Sloss, Amory Lovins, Laurens Speelman, and guest author Nigel Topping, former High Level Climate Champion, make the case that solar …

Preventing Electric Truck Gridlock

Even though heavy-duty trucks make up 4 percent of vehicles on the road in the United States, they are responsible for 20 percent of the transportation system’s pollution. Electrifying trucks nationwide can significantly reduce air pollution and improve health impacts, all while decreasing owners’ operating and maintenance costs.

A growing number of private and public decision makers are considering or are in the process of developing and implementing initiatives to strengthen local EV charging infrastructure so it can support the increasing number of electric trucks. But many, including utilities and fleet owners, are concerned that these efforts won’t be enough.…

The Future of the Trucking Industry: Electric Semi-Trucks

The trucking industry is a critical part of the economy, transporting 71.6 percent of U.S. goods totaling $10.4 trillion. But trucks are also a significant source of pollution, having emitted seven percent of U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2020. Electric trucks can reduce GHG emissions while also providing other benefits, including better safety and improved public health. Major fleets have committed to transitioning at least 30% of their new heavy-duty truck purchases to be zero-emission vehicles, including electric models, by 2030. But many companies are daunted by the extra upfront cost of electric trucks, as well as challenges like …

Global State of Sustainable Electric Vehicle Batteries

2022 was a pivotal year of both opportunity and continued risk for the sustainability of the global electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain. Countries in key markets are elevating their transportation electrification ambitions while also taking steps towards centering environmental protection and human rights in the supply chain. Yet more work is needed to ensure that parties are held to consistently high standards worldwide. Throughout 2022, UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE), along with ClimateWorks, has conducted outreach to a variety of organizations active in EV battery supply chain sustainability efforts—including human rights and transportation electrification …

Comparing Connecticut’s Electric Vehicle Charging Program with others from around the United States

To support Connecticut’s goal to deploy 125,000-150,000 electric vehicles (EVs) by 2025, the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) established a nine-year statewide EV charging program—administered by Eversource Energy and The United Illuminating Company—that aims to install nearly 65,000 EV charging ports by 2030. On behalf of the Connecticut Office of Consumer Counsel, this Applied Economics Clinic (AEC) white paper reviews EV charging programs in Connecticut and fourteen other states (California, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, and Vermont) and compares those programs’ ability to provide net benefits to consumers …

Electricity Market Report 2023

Electricity is central to many parts of life in modern societies and will become even more so as its role in transport and heating expands through technologies such as electric vehicles and heat pumps. Power generation is currently the largest source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions globally, but it is also the sector that is leading the transition to net zero emissions through the rapid ramping up of renewables such as solar and wind. At the same time, the current global energy crisis has placed electricity security and affordability high on the political agenda in many countries.

The International Energy …

Charging Infrastructure Challenges for the U.S. Electric Vehicle Fleet

This report provides an assessment of the infrastructure needs for electrification of the U.S. vehicle fleet, with an emphasis on the trucking industry. This analysis will focus on three infrastructure components that may prove challenging for electrifying the nation’s vehicle fleet: electricity infrastructure; the infrastructure that supports battery production for electric vehicles;
and the charging infrastructure.

Transportation, which last decade overtook the electric utility sector’s place as the largest emitter of CO2, has also been in the process of shifting to new energy sources to decrease its carbon footprint. In recent decades, these alternatives have
included ethanol and biodiesel among …

Forecasts of Electric Vehicle Penetration and its Impact on Global Oil Demand

The transportation sector is responsible for more than half of global oil demand, with passenger vehicles and trucks making up by far the largest fraction. Many countries with decarbonization goals therefore seek to expand electrification of road transport to meaningfully decrease reliance on this fossil fuel. The degree to which electric vehicle (EV) penetration can alter global oil demand has implications for whether more stringent government decarbonization policies will be needed to reach net zero targets.

This report, part of an oil and gas research initiative at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, compiles medium- and long-term forecasts of …

Electric Highways: Accelerating and Optimizing Fast-Charging Deployment for Carbon-Free Transportation

Electric vehicle (EV) adoption has reached a tipping point. It is now accelerating toward mass market adoption, particularly in states taking proactive measures to encourage transportation electrification. Meeting such targets will require a robust and accessible network of highway stations that provides on-route fast-charging to complement home, workplace, and depot charging. Paired with sales and manufacturing incentives such as those included in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, convenient access to fast-charging will further encourage EV market development and consumer adoption.

The electric grid will be critical to the rollout of fast-charging. Providing timely and sufficient electric service to energize …