Supporting local governments in advancing transportation electrification is crucial for GPI’s efforts to drive equitable, data-driven solutions that reduce emissions and offer real community benefits.
Last month, we shared how we developed two playbooks for the Wisconsin Local Government Climate Coalition to help local governments in Wisconsin reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the state’s legal and regulatory context.
We didn’t want to stop there. With additional funding from General Motors, we took one of the playbooks focused on transportation electrification in Wisconsin and adapted it for a broader, nationwide audience.
With that, we’re excited to publish four new playbooks on supporting electric vehicle (EV) adoption and expanding public charging infrastructure. Let’s dive in!
Transportation electrification from startup to scale up
The playbooks focus on the following four topics:
- Planning for EVs
- Engaging with utilities on EVs
- Electrifying municipal fleets
- Expanding EV charging infrastructure
The actions local governments can take for each topic are organized into three levels: Start Here, Ramping Up, and Full Speed Ahead. Each level is tailored to meet communities where they are in their transportation electrification journey, from early-stage planning to more advanced implementation.
The playbooks provide real-world case studies, cost considerations, action-specific resources and assistance, and additional implementation considerations, such as staff time required, department roles, county roles, and partners.
Implementation considerations are also categorized by degree of difficulty (minimal, moderate, and significant) to help governments gauge the time, effort, and resources needed for specific actions.
States may have unique contexts to consider when implementing the actions outlined in each playbook. Review your state’s rules and regulations before pursuing the suggested actions.
A key tool for reducing transportation sector emissions
The transportation sector is one of the leading sources of harmful emissions nationally and has a direct negative impact on public health, climate, and the economy, making it a growing priority for many communities.
Addressing the environmental impact of the transportation sector will require multiple solutions working together, and electrifying transportation is one of those solutions. While these playbooks offer a broad view of strategies local governments can pursue to support transportation electrification, they are not intended to be comprehensive. They highlight practical actions that deliver high-impact results for reducing emissions or identify where additional expert guidance might be needed.
Much of the information throughout the playbooks is adapted from Charging Smart, a free technical assistance and designation program that helps governments across the US accelerate EV deployment. Charging Smart is part of the Energy Ready suite of programs, led by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, with GPI as the lead partner.
Get started with local government playbooks
Explore which playbook may be most useful for your community (it might be all of them!):
- Planning for Electric Vehicles Playbook
- Utility Engagement Playbook
- Municipal Fleet Electrification Playbook
- Expanding Charging Infrastructure Playbook
If you are interested in participating in the Charging Smart program or have additional questions about transportation electrification, reach out to us at [email protected].
Stay tuned for more playbook format resources in the future. We are currently developing playbooks on connected and autonomous vehicles, data centers, and more.
