A new information hub is now available to assist and guide localities across metropolitan Washington as area leaders work to implement policies and actions to increase adoption of electric vehicles in the region.
Established through a resolution by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) Board of Directors in September 2022, the Electric Vehicle (EV) Deployment Clearinghouse brings together resources on local EV plans and policies, procurement and installation or operations support agreements, and grant and partnership opportunities for EVs and related infrastructure. The Clearinghouse also includes an EV Charging Station Locator map that serves as a resource for COG members with valuable data visualizations to identify gaps in the EV charging network.
Organized into six overarching topics, the EV Clearinghouse contains information related to:
- EV Grants and Funding
- EV Incentives
- EV Laws and Regulations
- EV Charging Station Locator
- EV Local Plans
- EV Ready Checklist
Area leaders are working to facilitate EV deployment from all angles—a monumental task, but necessary to meet our climate goals and ensure an adequate EV network throughout all of metropolitan Washington. A multi-sector, 71-member Regional EV Deployment Working Group was formed to serve as a forum for local and state agencies to collaborate on EV deployment actions. An EV Ready Checklist, developed by COG in coordination with the EV Deployment Working Group, is provided through the Clearinghouse to offer localities a streamlined, step-by-step overview of actions that can be taken to facilitate widespread adoption.
The Metropolitan Washington 2030 Climate and Energy Action Plan, adopted by the COG Board in 2020, establishes widespread adoption of electric vehicles as essential to meeting the region’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. In 2022, COG announced that the region met its interim goal of reducing emissions by 20 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. Final results showed a 24 percent decrease in emissions.
“Our policies and actions to mitigate climate change and support sustainable, thriving communities are working. Now, with a high bar set for 2030, we need to ensure area jurisdictions have a suite of tools at their fingertips to leverage best practices and work in sync with each other to facilitate EV adoption. These steps will help reduce emissions and meet our climate goals,” said COG Board Chair and Montgomery County Councilmember Kate Stewart.
The 2030 Climate and Energy Action Plan outlines that battery operated and plug-in hybrid vehicle use would need to increase to more than 30 percent for light duty cars, 9 percent for light duty trucks, 4 percent for medium and heavy-duty trucks, and 30 percent for transit buses to meet the 2030 GHG emission reduction goal.
“The EV Clearinghouse will be a critical resource for coordinating our regional efforts on electric vehicle deployment. Our existing infrastructure and regulations need to be adapted to meet our quickly changing transportation and mobility needs. This means updating zoning policies, incentivizing EV adoption, and anticipating safety concerns. Sharing our experiences and best practices as individual jurisdictions allows the region to be nimble and responsive in facilitating EV adoption,” said Takis Karantonis, Arlington County Board Member and Chair of the Climate, Energy and Environment Policy Committee at COG.
Several barriers to widespread use of electric vehicles currently exist, including cost, accessibility of charging stations, and consumer awareness. Available information regarding public safety concerns related to EVs and EV charging stations is also relatively limited. The EV Clearinghouse tracks emerging knowledge and works to support the reduction of these barriers with comprehensive examples of policies and regulations implemented locally and throughout the nation. Federal and state grant opportunities are listed within the Clearinghouse to aid localities in accessing funding to implement these policies and programs.
As with any emerging technology, best practices and strategies continue to evolve. As the Regional EV Deployment Working Group identifies ways to increase regional collaboration on EV adoption, including the development of a Regional Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Implementation Strategy to project EV ownership and needs, the EV Clearinghouse will be updated regularly to provide localities with the latest information to aid in the deployment of electric vehicles.
MORE: Certified Resolution R40-2022 - Endorsing Efforts to Support Electric Vehicle Deployment