Policy support for electric vehicles (EVs) continues to grow across U.S. states as transportation electrification is a primary component of regulators’ strategies to meet clean energy and emissions reduction targets. Recent initiatives range from California’s electric truck mandate to Nevada’s vehicle emission standards to New Jersey’s EV ecosystem proposal.
The U.S Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy on June 29 announced a request for information to support the research and development of the battery critical materials supply chain. The department seeks input from industry, academia, research laboratories, and government agencies to identify challenges and opportunities in the upstream and downstream supply…...
The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources on June 25 announced the expansion of the Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicles, or MOR-EV, initiative to include commercial and nonprofit fleets. Since 2014, the state has dedicated more than $31 million to incentivize the purchase of over 15,000 electric vehicles. Last December, the department extended the MOR-EV…...
The California Air Resources Board on June 25 adopted a rule requiring a transition from diesel trucks and vans to electric trucks from 2024. The first-in-the nation standard requires all trucks sold in California to be zero emission by 2045. The rule will advance the state’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent…...
Democratic Governor Steve Sisolak on June 22 announced the Clean Cars Nevada initiative to consider the adoption of low- and zero-emission standards for light-duty vehicles. The program will help advance the state’s goal of reducing emissions by 28 percent by 2025 and 45 percent by 2030 relative to 2005 levels. Nevada would join 14 other…...
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on May 18 unveiled its Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Ecosystem 2020 Straw Proposal, which will inform recommendations to develop an approach for charging infrastructure build-out, as well as the roles of private and public entities. New Jersey enacted legislation in January that sets a goal of having 2 million…...
In just the last three months, almost a dozen states have advanced measures to ramp up support for electric vehicles (EVs), reflecting the important role of transportation electrification in achieving clean energy goals. However, transportation electrification, similar to other clean energy sectors, faces uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the rollback of federal fuel economy standards.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on March 31 finalized fuel economy and carbon dioxide emissions standards for cars and light trucks for model years 2021 to 2026. The Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient, or SAFE, Vehicles Rule increases the stringency of these standards by 1.5 percent a year,…...
The Virginia State Corporation Commission opened a proceeding on March 24 to explore the impact of increased electric vehicle deployment on the affordability and reliability of utility electric services. The proceeding will address a broad range of issues including existing development and projected growth, rate design, storage-specific issues, and public charging stations. The commission is…...
The New York Public Service Commission on March 19 adopted changes to its direct current fast-charging, or DCFC, infrastructure program to allow brand-specific proprietary plugs to qualify for incentives if the charging station also has commonly accepted standardized plug types. The program aims to provide an economic incentive to private sector actors to build out…...
Virginia has become the first state in the South to begin a clean energy transition with the passage of a sweeping energy bill that sets the state on the path to carbon-free power by 2050. The law replaces the voluntary renewable energy portfolio program with a mandatory standard, and paves the way for an enormous expansion of wind and solar power, energy storage, and energy efficiency.
The final version of Virginia’s Clean Economy Act cleared the state’s House of Delegates and Senate on March 7, and now awaits Democratic Governor Ralph Northam’s signature. The legislation codifies the 2050 clean energy goal that Governor Northam laid out in an executive order issued last September. The bill calls for more wind and solar…...