Electric vehicles (EVs) are an essential part of the effort to decarbonize the transportation sector—and the energy system as a whole—by midcentury. When combined with a decarbonized electricity sector, EVs can contribute to rapid decarbonization of transportation while bringing many other economic and public health benefits.
To make progress on decarbonization while seizing the many opportunities EVs offer, governments, utilities, and other private sector actors need to work together to address the many challenges that stand in the way of rapid EV adoption across all vehicle classes.
That’s why leaders are gathering in Chicago, IL for the “2019 EV Summit: Electrifying Transportation in the Midcontinent” on January 23, 2019. The summit, hosted by the Great Plains Institute and the diverse participants of the Midcontinent Transportation Electrification Collaborative (MTEC), is focused on accelerating progress on transportation electrification.
The summit will include the release of the transportation electrification chapter of “A Road Map to Decarbonization in the Midcontinent,” and will include new analyses and recommendations to policy makers in the Midcontinent Region on how to seize the opportunities electric vehicles present. The summit will also include expert presentations and discussions on several key topics:
- The role EVs can play in decarbonizing the transportation sector
- Increasing the availability of public EV charging in the region and discussion on opportunities for regional fast charging corridors
- The role of utilities, and status of utility EV programs within the Midcontinent
- The role of communities and the opportunity for electrified advanced mobility
- Automaker strategy and the latest advances in new EVs
We’re excited to announce the keynote speaker for the summit, Ameren Illinois President Richard Mark, and confirmed speakers including:
- David Armour, Siemens
- Tom Ashley, Greenlots
- Samantha Bingham, Chicago Department of Transportation
- Valerie Sathe Brugeman, Center for Automotive Research
- Jordan Davis, Smart Columbus
- Sam Houston, Union of Concerned Scientists
- Michael Hughes, ChargePoint
- Jeff Jaeckels, Madison Gas and Electric
- Phillip B. Jones, Alliance for Transportation Electrification
- Brendan Jordan, Great Plains Institute
- Alex Keros, General Motors Urban Mobility
- Rolf Nordstrom, Great Plains Institute
- Spencer Reeder, Audi
- Jill Rook, Great Plains Institute
- Norman J. Saari, Michigan Public Service Commission
- Tim Sexton, Minnesota Department of Transportation
- David Warren, New Flyer
Find more information on the first chapter of “A Road Map to Decarbonization in the Midcontinent: Transportation Electrification” or a recent publication by MTEC on Utility EV Programs in the Midcontinent Region.
Register to join us at the summit in Chicago →
About the Midcontinent Transportation Electrification Collaborative (MTEC). MTEC works to inform decision-makers’ thinking around policies and initiatives to speed the electrification of transportation in the region. The collaborative is composed of representatives from automakers, state government, electric utilities and cooperatives, charging companies, and environmental organizations. The group carries out collective research, develops white papers and policy recommendations, and hosts public workshops for policymakers and stakeholders in the Midcontinent.
The collaborative is facilitated by the Great Plains Institute.
