Native governments from throughout the Southeast got here collectively to share options and sources that may assist electrify transportation of their communities. Their dedication and collaboration are an instance of the Clear Power Technology in motion.
Amy Rawe | September 26, 2023
| Clear Power Technology, Clear Transportation, Local weather Change, Power Justice
Should you had any doubt that the clear vitality transition is underway in cities and cities all through the Southeast, listening in on a current gathering of native authorities leaders would change your thoughts.
Representatives from 45 cities and cities all through the Southeast gathered on September 14 and 15 in Savannah for the Electrify the South Collaborative, facilitated by the Southern Alliance for Clear Power (SACE) and Southeast Sustainability Administrators Community (SSDN) and made attainable by a beneficiant Motion Infrastructure Grant from Mosaic.
In a forthcoming weblog, Dory Larsen, SACE’s Senior Electrical Transportation Program Supervisor, will present a breakdown of knowledge and data from the Collaborative, however the speedy and clear takeaway from the occasion is that the clear vitality transition is certainly accelerating in communities all through the Southeast. The help and collective problem-solving seen between native governments throughout this Collaborative is a primary instance of what the Clear Power Technology motion is all about.
These Collaborative members are on the entrance strains of defining and implementing local weather and clear vitality motion plans of their communities. They’re sustainability administrators, city managers and metropolis council members, elected officers, public works administrators, fleet managers, finance workers, and municipal leaders in numerous roles. They signify a various vary of communities — rural and concrete, small cities and enormous cities. A few of their communities are simply starting to outline their plans for transportation electrification, whereas others are on their technique to changing into 100% Clear Power communities. All of them got here to study new methods to affect transportation of their fleets and of their communities. Their efforts to plan for and implement clear vitality applied sciences are a cornerstone for creating smarter-powered cities and cities to scale back dangerous local weather air pollution.
For 2 days, they recognized challenges and alternatives and shared options and sources towards a standard purpose — to learn to entry and implement federal electrical transportation funding out there by way of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Regulation (BIL) and Inflation Discount Act (IRA). By strategizing methods to prioritize putting secure, wholesome, and equitable communities entrance and heart in present-day choices, town and city leaders on the Collaborative exemplified how native governments can work collectively to create impactful change because the Clear Power Technology.
“Earlier than coming to the Collaborative I didn’t know the place to begin. However studying about what different cities and counties are doing and what sources can be found is inspiring and invigorating. Electrifying transportation is the place we’re headed. Our county is simply at first, however now I see what will be executed once we’re able to make these adjustments.”
BIL & IRA Alternatives
Stan Cross, SACE’s Electrical Transportation Coverage Director, as soon as joked that “BIL and IRA” seemed like a pleasant older couple. In that gentle, BIL and IRA are smart buyers unleashing historic sources into local weather actions and clear vitality through funding in infrastructure and our communities. These federal sources are creating alternatives to rework how the U.S. produces and consumes vitality by investing in American vitality provide chains, clear vitality job creation, emissions discount, and shopper vitality financial savings.
BIL and IRA are already creating important impacts, and there at the moment are tangible alternatives for native governments to advance electrical transportation by way of federal grants or tax credit. Nevertheless, understanding methods to apply for and put together to implement the funding requires important time and data. The Electrify the South Collaborative was a kickoff occasion to assist native governments finest place themselves and the area to leverage federal funds and obtain electrical transportation targets.
“I notice that there are way more funding and collaborative alternatives out there as our Metropolis strikes in direction of increasing our EV infrastructure.”
Federal and state authorities panelists shared data to equip native governments with the data, instruments, and technical help to use immediately for federal funding and to affect state system funding planning and implementation. The data that attendees additionally shared by way of Q&A classes and small-group conversations over the 2 days was equally informative and galvanizing, collaborative in each sense.
Those that attended shared their wants and challenges with electrifying municipal transportation; and labored collectively to problem-solve options. Enterprise playing cards and phone data have been exchanged ceaselessly, usually shared with phrases alongside the strains of, “I’ve a useful resource that may assist you to with that,” or “I’ll share what didn’t work for us so you may keep away from that.”
“As a municipality, it was nice to listen to that we aren’t alone in our struggles with transportation electrification. It was clear that the majority of us share extra commonalities than variations in relation to this matter, and my takeaway is that we will discover options if we expect creatively and leverage our networks.”
The peer-to-peer studying will higher place the area to advance electrical transportation targets, and make it extra probably that rural and concrete communities within the Southeast will seize a proportional share of federal investments. The just lately launched fourth annual “Transportation Electrification within the Southeast” report, revealed by SACE in collaboration with Atlas Public Coverage, reveals that over the previous 12 months, our area has accessed federal funds totaling $234 million for electrical transit buses, $172 million for electrical faculty buses, and $3 million in EV-related analysis and growth grants, and awarded $169 million in VW Settlement funds. The whole quantity of federal transportation electrification funding allotted so far is $741 million, which could possibly be dwarfed over the approaching years if the area is profitable at drawing down the huge quantity of funding being made out there by way of the rising listing of the BIL and IRA applications.
Ongoing Collaboration and Help
Native governments that have been unable to take part in Savannah are inspired to take part in two upcoming digital Collaborative conferences that may observe up on data shared through the September occasion. The primary digital assembly will probably be on November 30 at midday, registration data to be introduced quickly. SACE and SSDN will even proceed to collect and share details about funding alternatives, technical help sources, and municipal finest practices and successes.
It was invigorating and inspiring to see individuals rolling up their sleeves and digging into advanced expertise, logistics, and social points that may make our world a greater place, one group at a time. Their devoted collaboration is an inspiring instance of the Clear Power Technology in motion.
