5 Midwestern States to Create Electric Vehicle Charging Network

In today’s Electek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

• Governors of five Midwestern states create electric vehicle charging network.
• The prices of natural gas have doubled in the United States. Here are some cleaner alternatives.
• UnderstandingSolar is a free service that connects you with the top rated solar installers in your area for personalized solar estimates. Tesla now offers price matching, so it’s important to research the best quotes. Click here to find out more and get your quotes. – * a d.

Midwest EV Charging

The governors of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin have signed a memorandum of understanding to build a new electric vehicle charging network in the Midwest.

Simply put, they want to make charging more accessible and easier to find in their five states in order to drive the adoption of electric vehicles.

The five states will accelerate the establishment of a network supporting medium and heavy electric vehicles. They will coordinate their efforts to create consistent charging regulations and operations across the Midwest.

The new plan is called the Regional Electric Vehicle Midwest Coalition, or REV Midwest. The memorandum of understanding states:

Participating States will develop a coordinated approach to advance electrification which is
informed by industry, academia and community engagement. Participating States will work
together to allow a fair transition to electric vehicles for all with special attention
for historically disadvantaged communities. REV Midwest will position states in the
Midwest region to collectively leverage and increase public and private investment in electricity
vehicles and electric vehicle infrastructure.

The Electrification Coalition issued the following statement in response to REV Midwest’s announcement:

The historic transition from the internal combustion engine to clean electric motors will pay huge dividends for our health, our environment, our economy and our national security. It will require a bold mix of policies, incentives, investment and infrastructure, and today’s announcement lays a significant part of the groundwork in the Midwest. We look forward to working with state leaders on continuing the actions and policies needed to accelerate this vital transformation.

Alternatives to natural gas

The price of natural gas in the United States has more than doubled since the same period last year, and it is more than five times more expensive in Europe and Asia than a year ago.

In addition, the United States Energy Information Administration (EIA) yesterday reported that among 54 publicly traded crude oil-producing companies, natural gas revenues accounted for 14% of total revenues in the first quarter of 2021. That’s the highest share among these oil-producing companies since at least 2018.

So what should consumers do? Get rid of natural gas if possible – it’s a polluting and now expensive fossil fuel. We asked Michael Phillips, CEO of Sense, a tech company that makes a home energy monitor to track efficiency, cost, and reliability, what he thinks are the right alternatives.

Phillips recommends replacing oil and natural gas furnaces with heat, air or geothermal pump technology, and replacing gas stoves with induction stoves. He also suggests using an electric or solar water heater. (I have electric water heaters and had an induction hob in the UK, and love both. I plan to turn off my electric hob in my current home for induction.)

Phillips said:

In addition to soaring natural gas prices, gas furnaces are unhealthy and emit too much carbon. A new gas furnace can generate 30 years of carbon emissions. We need to stop making these purchases.

Photo: EVgo

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