Energy Exchange

Some of the biggest names in trucking are calling for federal support of electric trucks and buses

Momentum is building for federal support of truck electrification, and today’s launch of the National Zero-Emission Truck Coalition is a great example of how federal incentives are urgently needed to clean up our air, create tens of thousands of jobs and solidify American competitiveness in the global zero-emission truck market.

Organized by CALSTART, the ZET coalition is a group of America’s biggest truck equipment manufacturers, suppliers and key stakeholders, such as Cummins, Daimler, PACCAR, Eaton, Tesla, Rivian along with Environmental Defense Fund. This knowledgeable set of stakeholders is advocating for federal charging and refueling infrastructure and increased federal investments in advanced clean transportation technologies.

The group is also advocating for a national point-of-sale incentive program to help drive the near-term production of zero-emission trucks and buses in the United States — a policy that for the last decade has stood out for its effective support of clean vehicles at the state level. Also called a “voucher incentive program,” this incentive structure streamlines access to grants that directly support the purchases of clean trucks and buses, including battery electric and fuel cell vehicles.

Read More »

Also posted in Air Quality, Climate, Electric Vehicles, Illinois, Jobs, New York / Comments are closed

Report: California’s clean truck rule will save the economy billions, eliminate vast amounts of pollution

Chris Busch, Ph.D. with Energy Innovation co-authored this piece

Next week, California plans to do something that’s never been done before. The state will finalize the world’s first electric vehicle manufacturing standard, which promises to add thousands more clean trucks and buses to California streets.

The rule requires makers of medium- and heavy-duty trucks to build more electric options, and says a certain percent of heavy duty trucks on the market must be zero emission vehicles. The rule will make it so that, by 2035, about 60% of all trucks and buses sold in California will be clean.

The move is certainly good news for California’s air, which is the smoggiest in the country. But it’s also good news for the economy. A new report from Environmental Defense Fund and Energy Innovation finds the proposed rule saves at least $7 billion over the next 20 years.

Read More »

Also posted in Air Quality, Climate, Electric Vehicles / Comments are closed

CalSTRS investor: Access to capital will tighten for oil and gas companies sidestepping climate

We’re back with the last in a two-part series on prospects for ESG and climate investing between EDF’s Ben Ratner and Brian Rice, a portfolio manager at California State Teachers’ Retirement Systems, the world’s largest educator-only pension fund with roughly $243 billion under management.

After exploring the importance of climate policy and net-zero corporate planning in the first Q&A, the discussion turns to oil and gas. The experts examine this historic moment for the industry, and how escalating climate pressures will profoundly affect energy markets and the companies that power them.

Read More »

Also posted in Clean Energy, Climate, Natural Gas / Comments are closed

CalSTRS says climate is major portfolio threat, companies must walk the walk on net-zero

A few weeks ago, EDF’s Ben Ratner spoke extensively with Brian Rice, a portfolio manager at California State Teachers’ Retirement Systems about key issues in environmental social and governance investing.

CalSTRS is the largest educator-only pension fund in the world with roughly $243 billion in managed assets. EDF has been working closely with the firm on corporate engagement for more than five years.

This is the first of a two-part Q&A series with CalSTRS examining prospects on ESG and climate investing through the energy transition. This portion of the discussion explores the rise of ESG, the importance of policy, and what comes next for companies with net-zero commitments.

Read More »

Also posted in Climate, Methane, Methane regulatons, Natural Gas / Comments are closed

These two programs will help California reach its carbon-neutral goals

California is continuing its leadership on climate change by eliminating carbon from the economy and our daily lives. In fact, California has a law to create a carbon neutral electric grid by 2045.

This spring, our state took two important steps to support these efforts.

Decarbonizing our buildings

Approximately 25% of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions come from residential buildings. Because these buildings come in all different shapes and sizes, we need different strategies to reduce their emissions.

Read More »

Also posted in Clean Energy, Gas to Clean, Solar Energy, Wind Energy / Tagged | Comments are closed

Groundbreaking clean truck initiative will reduce air pollution in California

California recently released new details of a plan to bring more affordable electric trucks, vans and buses to market while also reducing harmful air pollution. The latest proposal reflects calls from California Air Resources Board members to increase the number of electric trucks sold under the rule and to ensure that the benefits of cleaner air they bring will reach disadvantaged communities.

If adopted, the state will require truck manufacturers to produce more electric or zero-emission vehicle options. Beginning in 2024, at least 9% of vocational trucks (like package-delivery vans and beverage-delivery box trucks) will need to be electric (or another kind of ZEV). By 2035, nearly 75% of these trucks will be electric or ZEV. The proposal sets similar schedules for other truck types.

Read More »

Also posted in Air Quality, Electric Vehicles / Comments are closed