North Carolina Gets Charged Up for More Electric Vehicles

 

On September 16, the Electrification Coalition (EC) brought together scores of electric vehicle policymakers, industry experts, and advocates for an informative and collaborative day-long session about how to accelerate EV adoption in North Carolina. This session was the second in a series of state EV Policy Bootcamps the EC is holding across six states.  

The bootcamp included several high–level keynote addresses from: North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, North Carolina State Rep. John Szoka, and Admiral Dennis C. Blair, member of SAFE’s Energy Security Leadership Council and former Director of National Intelligence and Commander in Chief of the U.S. Pacific Command. 

Participants also heard an update on the state’s efforts to advance electric vehicles from Sushma Masemore, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environment and State Energy Director, N.C. Department of Environmental Quality; and J. Kevin Lacy, PE, State Traffic Engineer and Director, Transportation Mobility and Safety Division, N.C. Department of Transportation. Additional sessions included updates on the national EV market, manufacturers’ perspectives on vehicle technology and policy pathways, ideas for addressing EV equity considerations, and policy gaps around charging infrastructure. Speakers included representatives from ABB, Arrival, Duke Energy, Thomas Built Buses, Volvo, the Colorado Department of Transportation and the Wend Collective. 

In the afternoon, the EC led a deep-dive discussion about a wide range of policy options to accelerate EVs in North Carolina. This conversation utilized the unique “fishbowl” format to gather comments and input from all participants in a lively discussion format. Kicking off that discussion included representatives from: the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance, EV Hybrid Noire, and Rivian.

It was great to have robust participation in our North Carolina EV Policy Bootcamp. Thank you to everyone who spoke, participated and attended. We’re excited to work to accelerate EVs in North Carolina!

Presentation Slides