Rocky Mountain Institute drafts EV plan for Seattle City Light

The Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) unveiled a transportation electrification strategy for Seattle City Light, the first such plan it has done for a municipal utility in the United States.

The Seattle City Light: Transportation Electrification Strategy identifies key actions for Seattle City Light to take to expand its market presence and strategic vision as electric vehicle adoption scales.

“This report creates a roadmap for Seattle City Light both to enable and respond to this rapidly changing market, ensuring that Seattle remains a global leader in reducing carbon emissions,” Lynn Daniels, Manager at Rocky Mountain Institute, a nonprofit that seeks to transform global energy use to clean, low-carbon future.

The city has a target of 30 percent EV adoption, along with a commitment to a fossil-fuel-free municipal fleet, by 2030.

In the report, RMI made several key recommendations. Among them, they called for investing in charging infrastructure, including utility-owned DCFCs and grid upgrades needed to support private-sector direct current fast chargers (DCFC) networks. This would make fast charging available to all residents. They also recommended the deployment of DCFCs not owned by utilities for ridesharing drivers as well as residents of underserved communities. Additionally, they suggested providing incentives and technical expertise for installing Level 2 chargers at residences and workplaces.

“Investing in charging infrastructure and proactively engaging with fleet and transit customers are two of the most important ways that City Light can accelerate the transition to electric vehicles in Seattle. We’re very proud to help lead the way to cleaner air, lower transportation costs and more equitable access to transportation in our city,” Brendan O’Donnell, manager of planning, strategy, and analytics at Seattle City Light, said.