ESG & Industry Updates

Transportation DeCarbonization Blueprint: Light Duty Vehicles

Posted by Kelly Burke on Jan 20, 2023 10:41:32 AM

The US National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization splits the Transportation sector into seven categories of focus: Light-Duty Vehicles, Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles, Off-Road, Rail, Maritime, Aviation, and Pipelines. We will discuss the major items involved in each of these, from largest % of carbon share to least, starting with Light Duty Vehicles.

Light-Duty Vehicles produce 49% of current transportation emissions (of note, for the purposes of the Blueprint “current” refers to 2019 levels due to the pandemic and related shutdowns making 2020 & 2021 data unreliable/useless).

The United States has over 280 million light duty vehicles on the road and these vehicles:

  • Account for 75% of passenger transport miles,
  • Account for 50% of total transportation energy use and emissions
  • Consume over 120 billion gallons of gasoline annually
  • Emit over 1,000 MMT CO2 annually

As we are all aware, Light Duty Vehicles (LDV) in the US have been subject to increasingly strict emissions requirements over the past few decades, and we have seen a massive increase in the availability of electric vehicles (EV) as well. To put specific numbers on it, in the past 15 years, LDVs have seen a 30% improvement in fuel economy (some of the ultimate impact of this however was mitigated by the trend toward larger, more fuel intensive passenger vehicles during that time period). EV have seen an explosion in popularity, it used to be you’d see a Prius or Volt here or there, now you would be hard pressed to drive to Boston without getting stuck behind a Tesla or two. Again, in terms of specific numbers, EV sales reached over half a million vehicles sold, bringing the total to 4.5% of market share in 2021 (18% in California!).

One of the major focuses of the blueprint in the LDV sector is the promotion of EV and zero emission vehicles, with an obvious preference for EV adoption. In tandem with EV adoption, there is a necessary push for charging infrastructure to make them a more feasible option for consumers. The goal is to have 50% new light duty EV sales by 2030, which would be a major step down the road to the ultimate goal of 100% EV adoption.

There is also an included focus on “Funding Research and Innovation” in this section of the Blueprint, which largely functions as an acknowledgement that we aren’t quite there on battery life and battery cost. Part of the legislative language in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) included large investments toward the development of a reliable EV manufacturing supply chain. The legislation also references research and development aimed at achieving price parity between EV and traditional combustion engine vehicles to make them more accessible to the average consumer in terms of price, practicality, and maintenance costs over time. Studies indicate that battery cost has dropped 90% from 2010 to 2020, and projections indicate that when the price reaches $100/kwh the MSRP on EV will hit parity with combustion engine vehicles. The legislation mentioned above intends to fund the research on battery technology to make those price levels reality.

So that is the overview, the major takeaways being that the major goals for this section are:

  • “Achieve 50% of new vehicle sales being zero-emission by 2030, supporting a pathway for full adoption, and ensure that new internal combustion engines are as efficient as possible.”
  • “Deploy 500,000 EV chargers by 2030”
  • “Ensure 100% of Federal Fleet procurement be zero-emission by 2027”

Obviously, for the purposes of energy suppliers, particularly at the consumer level, the growth of EV adoption implies a longer-term shift in the mix of gasoline demand and delivery, especially to stations and municipalities. Actual changes in market share of EV and zero-emission vehicles is something to watch.

Next up, medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses.

Stay Tuned!

 

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Topics: EV Charger, EPA, Carbon Emissions, Emissions, Biden Administration, ev, DOT, decarbonization

MA Passes Landmark Climate Change & Environmental Justice Bill

Posted by Kelly Burke on Apr 1, 2021 3:07:36 PM

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Friday, March 23rd, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed into law Senate Bill 9 "An Act Creating a Next Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Change Policy" that includes provisions described as "some of the most aggressive greenhouse gas emissions reductions targets in the country"

The ultimate goal of the bill is for Massachusetts to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and includes 5 year sublimit goals to that end for impacted sectors (transportation, buildings, etc).

The bill also serves to codify Environmental Justice provisions into Massachusetts law, to both define disparately impacted communities, and provide new tools and protections for those communities going forward. As part of the Environmental Justice approach, $12 million in annual funding was established for the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center to create a pathway to clean energy for environmental justice communities, minority and women owned businesses and fossil fuel industry workers. 

The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is additionally required to balance equity and accessibility as part of their decision making process regarding regulations in addition to safety, system security, and emissions reductions. Lastly, the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) is expanded to require environmental impact studies for all projects that impact air quality within a mile of Environmental Justice Neighborhoods and evaluate not just the proposed project's impact but the cumulative impact to the area of projects over time. 

Other major takeaways from the bill:

  • Utilities - first-time greenhouse gas emissions standard for municipal lighting plants, requiring 50% non-emitting electricity by 2030, 75 percent by 2040 and net-zero by 2050.
  • Solar - The bill prioritizes equitable solar program access for low-income neighborhoods. It also provides solar incentives for businesses by exempting them from net metering cap so they can set solar up on business properties to offset electric usage (and cost).
  • Wind - utilities will be required to buy an additional 2,400 megawatts of offshore wind 
  • Natural Gas - Enhanced pipeline safety goals that require adopting provisions including increased fines for safety violations, and enhanced training/certification requirements for utility contractors. Also sets targets for leak reduction along pipelines. 
  • Technology & Other Related Items: Senate Bill 9 also sets benchmarks for clean energy technology - electric vehicles, EV charging stations, anaerobic digesters, solar technology, and energy storage technology. Additionally, on the consumer side there are new regulations set for appliance energy efficiency. 

Obviously, the bill is very comprehensive and there are a lot of details and policy changes involved, some of which we won't know the exact implications of until new projects that are under its scope start rolling out. You can read more on the exact provisions at the Mass.gov website if you are interested in digging into the details, starting with the official press release here: Governor Baker Signs Climate Legislation to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Protect Environmental Justice Communities

 

 

 


 

 

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Topics: EV Charger, Massachusetts, Climate Change, Carbon Emissions, renewable energy, environmental justice

Tesla Model 3 Deliveries Deliver on Promised Features

Posted by Ed Burke on Sep 15, 2017 2:03:00 PM

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This August, Tesla employees receieved the first deliveries of the much anticipated Tesla Model 3. By all accounts, the Model 3 was met with fully positive feedback upon test driving. If you recall, the Model 3 got half a million pre production money down "reservation" orders in the absence of a test drive or really any standard marketing campaign in place. (For a refresher on the Model 3 debut, read this: Tesla's Model 3 Debut Stuns Industry)

The Model 3 starts at $35,000 but most reviewing is based off the $44,000 level model including the $5000 premium package add on, as this is the model currently available now (the "standard" Model 3 will be available in November) 

The number of EV Charging Stations in the US that are part of Tesla's "supercharger" network will increase by a projected 6500 by the end of 2017. It will be interesting to see how the EV station network expands with the increase in demand for electric vehicles we're seeing with options like the Model 3, new Chevy Volt, and the Nissan Leaf, which are all more readily available to the average consumer than the high end Tesla's and other models. 

I wrote an article for the September issue of Oil & Energy Magazine regarding the Model 3 - you can read it in full here: Tesla's Model 3 - Definitely Innovative

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Topics: EV Charger, electric vehicles, tesla

Dennis K Burke's EV Charger Station debuts this Friday

Posted by Ed Burke on Nov 15, 2011 8:28:00 PM

I'm excited to let everyone know that we will be debuting our EV Charging Station at our Chelsea MA Headquarters on November 18th (this friday) at 1:30pm. The ceremony will be emceed by Chelsea City Manager Jay Ash and special guests including the Massachusetts Clean Cities Manager Stephen Russell, and Mark Sylvia, the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources.

We will be the home of the first EV Charging system in Chelsea MA. Im excited to be adding the station to a list of environmentally conscious steps  we’ve taken. We were the first at the pump retailers of Biodiesel and E85 in the Commonwealth, and in 2009 we completed a photovoltaic solar power system at our headquarters as well. Now you can charge your car from solar generated power – pretty cool stuff!

Burke EV Charger Chelsea Massachusetts

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Topics: Mass DOER, Solar, EV Charger, Massachusetts Clean Cities

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