Electrification of U.S. Ground Transportation
The electrification of transportation represents the single most effective way to end the nation’s dependence on petroleum.
An electrified transportation sector would:
- Promote Fuel Diversity
- Use A Domestic Portfolio of Fuels
- Help Stabilize Prices
- Be More Efficient Than Petroleum
- Be Cleaner Than Petroleum
- Be Superior to Other Alternative Fuels
In short, electrification is the best path to the fuel diversity that is indispensable to addressing the economic and national security risks created by oil dependence.
The vehicle tax credits passed as part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (and modified in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) were a good first step, but more needs to be done. SAFE strongly supports policies to advance cars, batteries, and electrified infrastructure so that they are deployed on a large scale simultaneously.
In order to support an electrified transportation system, the nation will also require a true 21st century electrical grid. Transmission in the United States is at a crossroads. Failure to upgrade will make it more difficult to meet the nation’s growing demand for electrical power, thereby increasing the risk of blackouts.