DOEE Announces Release of ‘Roadmap’ to Electrify Vehicles by 2045

Nicole Goines, PIO, (202) 536-7666, [email protected]

Transportation Electrification Roadmap targets cleaner air and carbon neutrality for all Washingtonians

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) announce the release of a broad-ranging Transportation Electrification Roadmap (TER) to help the District transition its local transportation modes to zero-emission vehicles by 2045. The TER is an encompassing plan to help Washington, DC become carbon neutral by 2050, as called for in the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Act of 2018 (CEDC Act).

“This roadmap is critical to help the District prioritize and contribute to a green and equitable economy across all Wards. We recognize with the important foundation of the 2018 Clean Energy Act, the performance data has provided the District with incredible insight into how we will reach our goals of being a carbon neutral city by 2050,” said DOEE Director Tommy Wells. “By establishing mandates, these efforts will ensure that access to — and benefits from—transportation electrification are equitable and accessible to all District residents."

Emissions from diesel- and gasoline-powered vehicles contribute approximately 24% of the District's annual citywide greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). The TER focuses on shifting private, public, and transit vehicles from traditional fossil fuels to highly efficient and zero-emission electric vehicles, using three key methods:

1. Identifying and pursuing short-term strategies for the District to achieve at least 25% zero-emission vehicle registrations by 2030.
2. Informing and guiding the District’s medium-term strategy for converting its public buses, high-capacity private passenger/light-duty vehicles, and commercial fleets to electric vehicles (EVs) by 2045.
3. Outlining clear pathways to achieve 100% replacement of DC’s school buses with electric buses at the end of their useful life.

The TER suggests various initiatives to maximize EV adoption and emissions reduction, including but not limited to:

• Public engagement targeted to low/middle-income and working-class communities in Wards 5, 7, and 8 to support a fair and equitable transition to electric vehicles;
• Educational opportunities on benefits of EV charging with large DC-area employers, commercial entities, Business Improvement Districts (bids), property developers, car dealerships and others;
• Training opportunities with labor unions, trade organizations, and other groups to build a workforce that can support EVs and also deliver good-paying jobs for District residents;
• A substantial increase in EV charging in publicly accessible locations, residential neighborhoods, multi-unit dwellings and workplaces, as well as a direct current fast charging (DCFC) network to help the taxi-cab industry transition to electric and meet their high mileage needs; and
• Creating EV and charging infrastructure policies that affect all transportation modes.

The TER supplements existing efforts to electrify District public transportation options. For example, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) committed to transitioning its entire fleet to electric buses based on results of a two-year Circulator Electric Bus Pilot; DDOT is developing a DC Circulator Sustainability Plan that includes a comprehensive fleet transition plan. Included as a key part of the TER is a pilot project that will teach the fleet management staff at the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) to optimize the operations and maintenance of electric school buses.

DOEE’s TER implementation will be coordinated through the Transportation Electrification Working Group run by the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Operations and Infrastructure (DMOI). The TER was drafted by DOEE grantee the Electrification Coalition (EC) and DOEE State Energy Program (SEP) staff. For more information, please visit Electric Vehicles Resources.