Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles, which are rapidly growing in popularity, have an important role to play in decarbonizing the U.S. economy. Transportation electrification will be essential to achieving state and federal clean energy and climate targets. Electric vehicles (EVs) can provide a myriad of benefits. These range from reduced air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions to vehicle-to-grid (V2G) services that can support the more efficient operation of the electric grid. Read about our work on EVs below.

Charging Smart

By increasing access to charging, local governments can play a unique and powerful role in supporting the deployment of EVs in their community. IREC leads Charging Smart, a free technical assistance and designation program that helps local governments across the U.S. take action to remove barriers to the development of EV charging infrastructure and grow EVs in the community. By increasing the number of EVs on the roads, municipalities can secure cleaner air, support economic growth, and bring the mobility of the future to their residents’ doorsteps. Charging Smart is part of the Energy Ready suite of programs, which also includes SolSmart and Distributed Wind Smart.

Regulatory Engagement

IREC’s Regulatory team actively engages in state regulatory proceedings and working groups to improve how EV charging infrastructure, particularly for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, connects to the grid. Our work supports the cost-effective, rapid, and streamlined deployment of electrified transportation by helping states: 

• Improve their electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) interconnection processes through the adoption of clearly defined rules, process steps, and timelines;

• Increase grid transparency with tools like load hosting capacity maps, which help customers identify favorable locations for their projects. (Read more about hosting capacity analysis here.)

Sustainable Energy Action Committee: Planning and Zoning for Electric Vehicle Charger Deployment

Working with the Sustainable Energy Action Committee (SEAC) and partners at RMI, IREC published a guidance document, Planning and Zoning for Electric Vehicle Charger Deployment, to support local code officials with planning and zoning for EV charger deployment. The document addresses the need for millions of EV chargers in the years ahead. To facilitate the safe and equitable deployment of EV chargers, municipalities will also need transparent and predictable requirements for charger installation and straightforward approval processes. This document is part of IREC’s broader work with SEAC to support the development of codes and standards that resolve issues related to the deployment of distributed energy resources (DERs) such as EVs, solar PV, and more.

Paving the Way for Electric Vehicles

IREC’s Paving the Way paper series covers three key topics related to electric vehicles (EVs): vehicle-to-grid (V2G) standards, equitable shared mobility programs, and EV charger interconnection timelines. In this series, IREC provides pathways and considerations for transitioning to electrified transportation in a manner that is equitable, efficient, and beneficial to the grid. 

Paving the Way: Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Standards for Electric Vehicles (January 2022)

• In Paving the Way: Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Standards for Electric Vehicles, we review the status of V2G standards and any gaps that need to be addressed to unlock the capabilities of V2G-enabled equipment. 

Paving the Way: Enabling Equitable Electric Vehicle Shared Mobility Programs (February 2022)

• In Paving the Way: Enabling Equitable Electric Vehicle Shared Mobility Programs, with a focus on utility- and Public Service Commission-led programs, we highlight existing programs that are demonstrating the importance of building equity into shared mobility and EV infrastructure programs and offer suggestions on key considerations for program success.

Paving the Way: Emerging Best Practices for EV Charger Interconnection (June 2022)

• In Paving the Way: Emerging Best Practices for Electric Vehicle Charger Interconnection, we discuss the strategies that states and utilities can use to streamline the interconnection of EV charging infrastructure.