Speaker(s)

Dr. Chris Yang, Project Scientist, University of California, Davis

Abstract

Is electricity a low carbon fuel? It is one of the key fuels being discussed to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. This talk will cover a number of different topics and studies related to the use of electricity as a transportation fuel, including the electricity grid, low-carbon and renewable electricity, plug-in electric vehicles, other low-carbon fuels and policy. The talk will discuss some of the findings of several studies: (1) an analysis of the low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) and electricity, which looks at the incentives for plug-in electric vehicle adoption under an LCFS and determination of the carbon intensity of electricity, (2) long-term studies of greenhouse gas emissions reductions by 2050 to understand the importance of electricity as a transportation fuel, and (3) dispatch modeling of the electric grid to understand the impacts of charging plug-in electric vehicles, especially with respect to the growth of intermittent renewable sources. Plug-in electric vehicles are an important means of reducing petroleum use and greenhouse gas emissions in transportation but long-term sustainability requires a multitude of fuels and strategies.”