Electrification in Transportation
- January 12, 2023
- Posted by: Jacob Rigg
- Category: Blog
RTA members and partners,
Earlier this week, RTA held our first General Membership meeting of 2023 on the topic of electrification in transportation. More than 40 members joined in for this conversation.
Our meeting included an overview of Governor Roy Cooper’s recent Executive Order No. 271 on zero emission Advanced Clean Trucks “ACT”, the process for potential implementation of the order, and the overall opportunity for increased electrification in transportation.
RTA sustainability and environment chair Sarah Gaskill with FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies kicked off the event by noting the opportunity for our membership to learn about advancing tomorrow’s mobility, including efforts to accelerate a sustainable mobility future via electrification and decarbonization.
Zach Pierce, Climate Change Policy Advisor in the Governor’s office, said that “We have a long history starting in 2016 starting with Executive Order 60” and highlighted the Administration’s long-standing focus on finding environmentally-friendly alternative energy sources for transportation.
Mike Abraczinskas from the Division of Air Quality (DAQ) of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) informed the group that according to a recent study, the transportation sector is now the largest (36%) contributor to greenhouse gases, and more than 50% of those emissions are solely from medium to heavy-duty trucks. Robin Barrows with DAQ provided an overview of upcoming outreach events.
Mark McIntire from RTA Leadership Team member Duke Energy shared ways that the company is advancing electrification in transportation, including the goal by the end of this decade to completely electrify their light duty fleet and 50% of their heavy-duty fleet.
This conversation doesn’t end here, as RTA remains committed to bringing the most relevant findings to the regional business community and continuing to provide information on topics such as zero-emission and electrification in transportation.
If you missed this meeting you can view the zoom recording here.
Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support and membership,
Let’s get moving,
Joe
