Heavy Duty Vehicle Electrification: Planning for and Development of Needed Power System Infrastructure
White paper, June 2023
In April of 2023, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) – vehicles over 14,000 pounds – as a way of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the transportation sector. In a white paper that received support from the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), a team of Analysis Group authors investigated the potential impacts for electric distribution systems associated with increasing the number of electric trucks on the road. They also evaluated pathways for states and utilities to efficiently manage the infrastructure growth needed to accommodate these vehicles.
In the white paper, the authors – Principal Paul Hibbard, Manager Daniel Stuart, Associate Laurie Hakes, and Senior Analyst Sam Churchill – explored considerations that regulators, utilities, charging station developers, and fleets should factor into their planning as the electric truck fleet moves toward electrification. The authors used an estimate of the potential size and location of new electric company distribution system demand to evaluate whether and how utilities can reliably meet the forecasted infrastructure growth. In addition, they examined the various statutory and regulatory frameworks, financial incentives, planning considerations, and technologies that may be leveraged to prepare for growing electricity needs and accommodate growth. The authors note that the increases in electricity demand do not seem excessive as compared to historical growth rates, and that there are established tools and resources available to address location-specific growth scenarios.