Renewable Revolution

December 15, 2021



SUMMARY:

Advocates urge investment in EV charging for communities of color. The Biden administration aims to electrify the federal fleet, reduce federal building emissions, and accelerate installation of 500,000 EV charging stations. Nebraska becomes the first red state to commit to net-zero electricity by 2050. NYC is set to ban gas hookups in new buildings. 2021 marked a record year for climate-friendly investment. Clean energy deals are booming in Europe amid the ongoing energy crunch.

Communities of color are at risk of being left behind in the transition to electric cars.

“Our proximity to the negative effects of fossil fuel production, to the interstate highway, puts us at risk,” said Billy Davis, head of the electric jitney startup JitneyEV. “When you have charging deserts, this is where the investment has to occur, because this is where the problem is most egregious — lung disease and asthma and so forth. There is such a thing as environmental racism, so there has to be a reckoning.”