Abstract
Purpose of Review
As the carbon intensity of electricity generation declines, electrification of vehicles, buildings, and industrial processes becomes an increasingly critical decarbonization strategy. This review summarizes policy approaches to advancing electrification in each sector, and highlights promising developments at the national, state, and local level in the USA.
Recent Findings
Recent developments include targets and incentives for heavy-duty vehicles, growing programs to promote heat pumps for buildings and electric vehicles in disadvantaged communities, shifts to energy efficiency goals and utility performance incentives to include electrification, and emerging efforts to address the future of the natural gas distribution system.
Summary
Policy activity to encourage electrification is accelerating in the transportation and buildings sectors at the state, city, and utility level, with more barriers for policy action in the industrial sector. Current policies to promote electrification include incentives, mandates, changes to valuation and rate design, and procurement policies. Emerging policy areas, particularly around equity and federal policy strategies, are discussed.
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Notes
L2 and DCFC chargers are different forms of EV chargers. L2 chargers have a minimum voltage of 240 volts and DCFC chargers have a minimum voltage of 480 volts.
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. New Mexico and Minnesota are considering adoption of California’s LD EV standards [30].
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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance
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Rachel Gold declares that ACEEE receives modest support from several electric and gas utilities. They join our corporate Ally program, sponsor conferences, and sponsor research projects. Taken together, they are less than 5% of our total budget. And, since they are electric, gas, and combined utilities, they differ in opinions—some want more electrification, some less.
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Gold, R. Status Report on Electrification Policy: Where to Next?. Curr Sustainable Renewable Energy Rep 8, 114–122 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40518-021-00180-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40518-021-00180-w