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Audra Drazga
Audra Drazga
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Electrification of Transportation & Its Impact on Utilities: Letter from the Community Leader

Letter from the Community Leader:

The transition of transportation toward electric vehicles looks to be accelerating. Not only have a number of EV models been coming out each year to meet growing customer demand, but stakeholders across the energy space are joining the call for transportation electrification. And this was all before the recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act that's unlocking a new round of funding for EVs and EV infrastructure, which wasn't even on the table when the call for contributions to this Special Issue was issued.

This space is moving quickly, and the utility stakeholders who drag their feet will be in for a rude awakening when they realize how much harder it is to play catch up than it is to prepare and be proactive. Utilities have traditionally not been terribly intertwined with the transportation sector, but that is changing, and the future of the utility business is in many ways going to be shaped by the EV revolution:

  • Long-term planning requires looking at new demand patterns from EV charging.
  • Public and private EV charging infrastructure is a new profit opportunity for utilities.
  • Customers are looking to utilities as their default energy advisor to help them join the EV push.

And this crossover will expand in many other ways, both already anticipated and some that will surely be a surprise. 

In this Special Issue Two Part Newsletter (released on 8/25 & 8/30), "Electrification of Transportation & Its Impact on Utilities," you'll find the best insights submitted by Energy Central Community Members and professionals in the industry. I hope you take some time to read what they have to say! 

As always, please remember that this publication of the articles and distribution of the Special Issue Newsletter is not the culmination of the discussion; instead, it's just where it starts. I implore you to take advantage of this unique opportunity to ask questions, share your thoughts, and connect with these great contributors. All the authors who submitted articles encourage you to leave comments, questions, and ideas in the comments section to which they can respond. 

Due to the overwhelming response to our call for submissions, we could not include every article in our Special Issue Newsletter publication. To access all articles for this Special Issue, follow this link. 

I look forward to seeing you in the Community! 

Audra C Drazga
VP of the Power Industry Network

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