It's official. The Build Back Better Act Senate vote has been delayed to 2022. While we continue to examine the proposed policies and funding in the bill version that passed the House in October with an eye on how electric transportation in the U.S. may be amplified, we invite you to read today's newsletter examining electric transportation opportunities in Florida and Georgia. Additionally, two featured blog posts this month delve into equity and the imperative need for it be front and center when determining electric transportation and infrastructure funding and programs.
In some good news, we at the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and Electrify the South are proud to announce we are now members of the National EV Charging Initiative. The initiative brings together automakers, power providers, electric vehicle and charging industry leaders, labor, and public interest groups to signal they are ready, willing and able to support federal action on a national charging network for light, medium and heavy-duty vehicles. Members will collaborate to accelerate shovel-ready charging infrastructure projects that will put people to work, infuse the economy with billions of dollars of investment, and increase access to clean transportation. We're committed ensuring the federal opportunity to increase EV charging is realized equitably and efficiently in the Southeast, and are grateful for this partnership opportunity.
As 2021 comes to a close, we want to thank you for reading our newsletter and being a part of our community. Our goal is to equitably electrify the south and transform our transportation system. Whether you're a long time reader, or this newsletter is new to your inbox, we're glad you're here. If you'd like to support our work, please consider a tax-deductible donation to our program and help us continue to charge forward.
As we continue to track the progress of electric transportation growth in the Southeast and beyond, we remain grateful for our readers who stay connected to us and others on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. To receive these newsletters in your inbox, click here to sign up!
Charging Forward,
Dory Larsen
Powering the EV Movement
At the request of the Florida Legislature, Florida recently released EV Infrastructure Master Plan (EVMP), which was developed through a broad transparent process administered by Florida DOT that engaged relevant stakeholders, including the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) in a year-long effort. As funds begin to flow from the recently inked federal infrastructure bill and the EV market heats up, the EVMP provides policymakers a road map to prepare the state for an EV future. Read more.
Electric transportation can be both the figurative and literal vehicle to help further social justice and improve the lives and livelihoods of many in low-income and rural communities. Prioritizing the needs of historically underserved communities in the transportation electrification movement ensures those who have the most to gain reap its benefits, while at the same time strengthening our society’s ability to mitigate the worst effects of the climate crisis. Read more.
Georgia is poised to be a regional powerhouse when it comes to electrifying transportation, and that success would lead to immediate and deep cuts in carbon emissions that would serve as a climate solution and help grow Georgia's economy at the same time. In fact, if all the cars, trucks, and buses in Georgia were electric today, ⅔ of the money consumers and fleet managers would spend on electricity would stay in the local economy. The result would be a $7.9 billion annual boost to the state’s economy. Read more.
A first-hand account from a single mom and EV driver demonstrates the real and immediate need for utility and public investments in EV infrastructure to ensure greater and more equitable and practical access to EV charging for apartment dwellers and those who park on residential streets. Read more.
Get Plugged-In
Florida Sustainable Transportation & Technology Expo
Event
The Central Florida Clean Cities Coalition (CFLCCC) and the Florida Association of Government Fleet Administrators (FLAGFA) invite fleet managers, technicians, consultants, transportation planners, or fuel or vehicle providers to explore and experience the latest technology advances in alternative fuels and vehicles and non-road equipment. The event will feature an electric vehicle ride and drive.
Florida Sustainable Transportation & Technology Expo
January 26-27
FSEC Energy Research Center, Cocoa, Florida
Request for Information: Development of Guidance for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Deployment
Action
From now until January 28, 2022, the FHWA is receiving comments on how the federal IIJA funding will be allocated and distributed. We encourage you to review the Request for Information on the Federal Register, before submitting your comments. The comments submitted will help inform the development of the guidance for the: EV formula program ($198 million for Florida), and the Competitive discretionary grant program ($2.5 billion nationally).
Request for Information: Development of Guidance for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Deployment Submit Comments before January 28, 2022
National EV Charging Summit
Event
The National EV Charging Initiative launched in August 2021 to guide the deployment of a national charging ecosystem that assures all EV drivers and fleet operators have access to convenient, reliable, seamless, and secure charging when they go electric. It is also vital that this infrastructure is deployed in a way that creates inclusive economic growth and good jobs at good wages. Signatories to the Memorandum of Understanding, including the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and its Electrify The South program, represent diverse and varied interests, perspectives, and goals. The Initiative’s Guiding Principles, developed over the last few months, convey shared values to guide and accelerate transportation electrification.
The National EV Charging Summit - a virtual, half-day event bringing together automakers, power providers, electric vehicle and charging industry leaders, labor, and public interest groups. It will serve as a platform to hear from Biden Administration officials on the historic commitment and new market pace they have set for electric vehicles. It will also provide a forum to spotlight organizations and companies making commitments to support the Administration’s EV charging efforts--- and to spark a true national dialogue in support of EV charging.
National EV Charging Summit
Tuesday, January 20, 2022
Virtual
Paving the Way
The Biden-Harris Administration’s Electric Vehicle Charging Action Plan details how the departments of Energy and Transportation and other agencies will implement measures in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and spur charging station construction. The administration has set an ambitious and necessary goal of ensuring half of all new vehicle sales are electric by the end of this decade. Read more.
In early December, Toyota announced plans to invest $1.25 billion and create 1,750 jobs with a new electric-vehicle battery plant in Greensboro, North Carolina. This is a welcome announcement as Toyota has so far trailed other major automakers in making its move into the electric transportation space. Read more.
Last week, Rivian announced a new $5 billion manufacturing facility in Georgia. With that investment, the Southeast will have doubled the region's total EV manufacturing investment in just the last 6-months to over $22 billion to date. Read more.
Roughly 4 in 10 Americans say they’re “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to “seriously consider” buying an electric car or truck the next time they are in the market, according to a recent Pew Research survey. With help from WFAE climate reporter David Boraks, FAQ City answered some common questions about electric vehicles. Read more and listen.
Readers Kicking Gas
Every month we'll spotlight stories and photos from YOU, our readers, about how EVs play a role in your world. To be featured in an upcoming ETS newsletter, send us an email here!
Darlene D., Jonesborough, Tennessee
When I get into my Bolt LT, I feel like a transformer! My car and I become one. Driving this rocket on wheels is so much fun and so incredibly easy! The design is intuitive and the car has been a pleasure to own and drive for 2 maintenance-free years, which have only required me to top off the washer fluid! I charge at home with a self-installed level 2 charger, which is so incredibly convenient. Driving past gas stations is so satisfying! The few times I have had the opportunity to use public or dealer chargers the process has been easy. With news of expanding charging infrastructure being built soon and Tesla opening up its L2 charging to all EV drivers in 2022, I am excited for the future of EV travel.