electric vehicles
Washington fine-tunes its options for boosting electric vehicle sales
Susan Baird-Joshi spent many hours the last few months helping draw up Washington’s ambitious plan for rapidly electrifying cars and trucks in the state. As a member of the Electric Vehicle Advisory Council, the data scientist weighed in on dozens of ideas considered in drafting the long-term strategy to accelerate purchases of battery-powered vehicles – […]
Big federal dollars for small state projects aim to get more cars off the roads
A 60-mile pedestrian and cycling trail in Arkansas, an electric street sweeper in Oregon and truck parking facilities in Florida don’t appear to have much in common — let alone any similarity with a conversion of California highways to toll roads or a roundabout in Michigan. But all of the projects will be paid for […]
A new roadmap to speed the spread of electric vehicles in Washington state
When it comes to meeting Washington’s ambitious electric vehicle goals, bolder cash incentives and charging outlets in thousands more locations are needed now. Rules pushing drivers to forgo cars and trucks that run on gas for ones powered by batteries are needed soon. And an aggressive outreach and education campaign must be sustained if the […]
Judge upholds Washington’s $17B transportation package
An effort to derail a sweeping state transportation package failed Friday, with a Thurston County judge upholding the law. But opponents hinted that the legal fight may not be over. They’d sued asserting the legislation contains multiple unrelated topics in violation of a state constitutional requirement that bills cover no more than one subject. Thurston […]
Extra cap-and-trade auction may net $62M for Washington
A special auction of pollution allowances on Aug. 9 likely generated $62.5 million for Washington, revenue that the state can funnel into programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change. During the three-hour bidding window, all 1,054,000 allowances offered were sold at preset prices, the state Department of Ecology reported Wednesday. Two batches […]
Labor’s plan for fighting climate change and creating jobs in Washington
A coalition of unions on Monday released a report laying out an ambitious “worker-centered climate roadmap” to create more than 800,000 jobs across Washington in the building, transportation, energy, and low-carbon manufacturing sectors. The 104-page blueprint details 20 actions including making Washington a center for offshore wind power and sustainable aviation fuel, building modular nuclear […]
State offers $16.3M to swap trash trucks, street sweepers for cleaner models
Washington will use about $16.3 million from a legal settlement with Volkswagen to help government agencies transition diesel medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, like garbage trucks and street sweepers, to zero-emissions models. The state opened applications for the money on Wednesday. About $9.6 million is for garbage trucks and street sweepers and roughly $6.6 million is […]
West Coast states seek millions to create zero-emission truck fueling network
Two years ago, Washington joined Oregon and California in requiring school bus, delivery van, garbage truck and semi-truck manufacturers to begin offering more zero-emission vehicles fueled by electricity and hydrogen. Now, the three states are joining together with a plan to power them on drives on the West Coast. Transportation agencies in Washington, Oregon and […]
New Yorkers look to Washington for advice on cap-and-trade
Architects of Washington’s cap-and-invest program on Thursday told designers of a similar carbon pricing initiative in New York that as money starts to roll in, they should be cognizant of higher costs borne by consumers. “I could go on and on about the exciting investments but part of the problem that we’re dealing with is […]
Gluesenkamp Perez dishes on gas prices, energy policy and electric vehicles
Democratic U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is making an impression on colleagues seven months into her first term, as she tries to forge a political identity as an independent voice for her southwest Washington district. “I hope you take this positively but your congresswoman is a pest,” U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell told a crowd gathered […]
Regional electricity demand projected to rise nearly 25% in next decade
Demand for electricity in the Northwest is expected to grow at its fastest pace in decades due to increasing industrial use, followed by the electrification of transportation, homes and businesses. Electricity demand in the region is projected to rise about 2.5% annually, and by nearly 25% within the next decade, according to an industry report. […]
Statehouses debate who should build EV charging networks
Though they only make up a fraction of cars and trucks on the road now, many projections — from Wall Street firms, trade groups and automakers themselves — predict an imminent surge in electric vehicles over the next decade. S&P Global estimates that the nearly 2 million electric vehicles on U.S. roads today will grow to more than 28 million […]