Hill Briefing: Plug-In Electric Vehicles
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Space is limited. |
Senators Richard Lugar, John Kerry and Jeff Bingaman invite you to attend a briefing organized by 2020 Vision and the Heinrich Boll Foundation to explore policy perspectives on the deployment of plug-in electric vehicles.
Plug-in vehicles have achieved major policy victories, including consumer tax credits and funding for advanced batteries, charging infrastructure and renewable energy. These vehicles receive broad bipartisan support, and President Obama has set a goal of reaching one million such vehicles by 2015. But to reach the goal of mass deployment, more must be done.
Come hear the latest US and European thinking on where federal policy should go and get your copy of the new 2020 Vision/Boll Foundation report, One Million Plug-In Electric Vehicles by 2015: Top Ten Policies for the U.S. to Get Plug-ins on the Road to Energy Security, Carbon Reductions, and Green Jobs.
Program
Panel 1: Providing the Right Federal Incentives
- Patrick Davis, Program Manager, Vehicle Technologies, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy
- Michael Carr, Majority Staff, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Tom Z. Collina, Executive Director, 2020 Vision Education Fund
- Moderator: Till Kotter, Heinrich Boll Foundation
Panel 2: New Business Models
- John Waters, CEO and President, Bright Automotive
- Jack D. Hidary, Chairman, SmartTransportation.org
- Michael J. Granoff, Head of Oil Independence Policies, Better Place
- Keith Cole, Director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, General Motors
- Moderator: Tom Z. Collina, 2020 Vision
2020 Vision Chapter in New Brookings Book
The prestigious Brookings Institute asked 2020 Vision Executive Director Tom Collina and Legislative Director Ron Zucker to write a chapter on federal policy needed to get one million new Plug-in Electric Vehicles on the road. The book, edited by David Sandalow, who has been appointed to be Assistant Secretary for Policy and International Affairs, but not yet confirmed, has now been released.
The chapter includes information about a variety of policies and choices that face America today. We detail an innovative business plan chosen by Better Place, which proposes to sell you miles in an electric car in much the same way that your cell phone company sells you minutes. By using this method, the car is effectively part of the deal for the miles, just as your cell phone was probably inexpensive when you bought your minutes.
We also look at the experience in Boulder, Colorado of starting a "Smart Grid" project, and explain why the electric grid is the project that will have a lot to do with our environmental future.
And we look at the complex scheme of policies that are needed for America's automotive future. Ranging from tax policy to fuel standards, the web of Washington policies is crucial.
You can purchase the book by clicking here.
A Declaration of Oil Independence
2020 Vision Joins Forces with College Students to Increase Awareness
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2020 Vision Legislative Director Ron Zucker went to Bloomington, Indiana to help a group of college students launch an important new campaign. The group, the Student Alliance for National Security, has launched an initiative to try to raise awareness of the importance of energy and climate change for college students.
Led by former 2020 Vision Regional Director Miles Taylor, the goal is to get 100,000 young people across the country to sign on in the next year. The group has an ambition plan to raise awareness on other college campuses across the country.
"We've attracted attention from across the country," says Taylor, "including the Clinton Global Initiative University. Now it's up to us to take this message across the country."
The launch event was held at Indiana University. Ron was joined on the panel by Bill Smith, Director of Sustainability at IU, John Clark, Director of Indiana's Office of Energy and Defense Development, and Jesse Kharbanda, Executive Director of the Hoosier Environmental Council.
Know some college students who would be interested in signing the Declaration? Point them to the website. If you are interested in working on this exciting new campaign, contact the national office.
Musil's Musings (New!)
Dr. Bob Musil, Chariman of the Board for 2020 Vision, will be sharing his views periodically in this space. Today, he comments on what it takes to create change in the new Obama era.
Check back frequently for Bob's talks. We expect to be hearing from him every couple of weeks. If you want to see his first comment, on coal and its discontents, click here.
2020 Vision Honored at Clinton Global Initiative
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| 2020 Vision Executive Director Tom Collina with President Bill Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative in September |
In September, 2020 Vision Executive Director Tom Collina went to New York City for the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) where 2020 Vision and CGI announced a commitment to help alleviate oil dependence and climate change.
The CGI commitment focuses on 2020 Vision's campaign to promote Plug-in Electric Vehicles as a key solution to oil dependence and global warming. We are working with corporations including GM, Toyota, A123 (a maker of revolutionary new batteries), and electric car makers Tesla Motors, among many others, and with other advocacy organizations to promote Plug-in Electric Vehicles and to educate congress on the need to create incentives so all consumers can buy these cars, not just those who can afford to pay a “green premium." After all, only by having millions of these cars on the road can we hope to make a significant contribution to the challenges we face.
The CGI commitment is available here.
The next step is for foundations and others to provide the resources to make this commitment a reality. We are looking for partners to join us in our work to help stop global climate change. 2020 Vision’s work was chosen from among a larger pool of proposals to receive this honor.
Hill Briefing Has a Transatlantic Flavor
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| Joerg Mayer, Managing Director of Germany's Agency for Renewable Energies, speaks while Tesla Motors' Diarmuid O'Connell (left) and Toyota's Bob Wimmer listen. |
The topic brought out a standing room only crowd. The group, largely legislative staff and industry leaders, was given the perspective on the US domestic auto market by Bob Wimmer of Toyota Motor and Diarmuid O'Connell of electric carmaker Tesla Motors. Explaining the European view were Joerg Mayer, Managing Director of Germany's Agency for Renewable Energies, and Reinhard Buetikofer, Chairman of the German political party Alliance 90/The Greens.
Mr. Mayer's slides, explaining the German approach to electric mobility, are available here. Mr. Wimmer's slides on Opportunities and Challenges of PHVs are available here. PLEASE NOTE: These are large files. Mr. Mayer's slides are approximately 3.7 MB, while Mr. Wimmer's slides are approximately 2.1 MB. We recommend downloading these over a fast internet connection.
2020 Vision looks forward to hosting more briefings for legislative staff. If you'd like to be added to our invite list for these briefings, please contact Ron Zucker, Legislative Director.
National Summit on Energy Security a High Energy Affair
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| Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) opened the session with a keynote address |
2020 Vision's Third Annual National Summit on Energy Security was held on July 16, 2008 at the Top of the Hill Banquet and Meeting Facility in Washington, DC. The Top of the Hill, located across the street from the Capitol Building, hosted a diverse and interesting cross-section of industry, analysts, civil servants and activists learning more about the issues facing America and the challenge of cleaner, safer energy.
The session was opened by Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI). “We are clearly in an era of extraordinary transition in which climate change, energy supply, and sustainability will reshape the world, influence our economy, our national security, and the way we live. Resolving these problems will be among the most complex and challenging issues that the next president will face,” said Reed, a West Point graduate and former Army Ranger. (Read the full text of Sen. Reed's speech here.)
Sen. Reed was followed by a presentation by Vice Admiral Lee F. Gunn (USN-Ret.), who explained the impact of climate change on military planning. Admiral Gunn was joined by Klaus Scharioth, Germany's Ambassador to the US, which explained how climate change was being tackled in the European Union and the lessons that America could learn from our European allies.
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| Jim Woolsey answers a question about Sen. McCain's views on energy security while Kenneth Berlin, representing Sen. Obama, looks on. |
Following that, Newsweek's Eleanor Clift hosted a panel featuring representatives of the the Presidential Campaigns. Kenneth Berlin of Skadden Arp, an advisor to Sen. Obama, spoke for the Democratic nominee, while R. James Woolsey, former Director of Central Intelligence and a long time advocate on energy security, representated Sen. McCain. The good news of this election, both men agreed, is that whoever wins the general election will be more dedicated to the cause of stopping climate change than the current Administration.
The day continued with discussions about the state of the electric grid and whether or not we're prepared for the next generation of energy issues with John Moore of Acorn Energy, a holding company that invests in and acquires energy companies that are focused on environmental solutions to America's energy needs, and former FERC Commissioner Nora Brownell. This was followed by representatives from Toyota, GM, Tesla Motors and Project Better Place discussing the road to cleaner cars.
Perhaps the most heat of the day concerned the divisive issue of biofuels in the US. While ethanol has long been touted as both cleaner than gasoline and a renewable resource, some recent studies have questioned the efficacy of biofuels and their environmental benefits. The debate was heated between the two camps, and was captured by E&E-TV, a daily internet show focusing on energy and the environment. Watch the panel here.
The whole day was interesting and brought together a group dedicated to finding solutions to America's energy needs that both enhance our security and protect the environment. The room was packed, and we're committed to having another Energy Summit next year. We thank all of the sponsors and participants, and look forward to seeing you at the event next year.
The Unusual Suspects
Last April, 2020 Vision hosted a unique event in Tacoma, Washington. The event, "Flying in a Carbon-Constrained World: Aviation's Role in Oil Dependence and Climate Change," brought together academics from the University of Puget Sound's Department of Politics and Government, scientists from the National Energy Technology Lab, members of the US Air Force, engineers and business leaders from aviation, including Boeing and political leaders from the environmental community to discuss how both private and government aviation can look forward to working in a world where scarce and increasingly expensive fossil fuels need to be replaced with fuels that emit fewer greenhouse emissions.
Military and civil aviation play a key role in America's addiction to oil and our contribution to global warming. Recently, both sectors have taken major steps to address these challenges. Over the next decade, the Air Force is planning to replace much of its oil with fuel derived from domestic coal. On the civil side, Boeing is working with Virgin Altantic and Continental to develop bio-based renewable fuels, and test flights have already begun.
In addition to this unique lineup, we were honored to have as our lunch keynote speaker Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash). Rep. Inslee has been a leader on environmental issues since he first arrived in Congress in 1993. He serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where he has been a strong advocate for lowering greenhouse gas emissions. In March 2007, he was appointed to the 15-member Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. 2020 Vision was honored to hear him speak at our first National Summit on Energy Security in July, 2006. His district's unique placement and stunning natural beauty, combined with the proximity to Boeing's Washington roots, make him a visionary leader on the environmental impacts of aviation.
The rest of the world is beginning to understand how crucial this issue
is to a discussion of greenhouse gas emissions. We can't ignore the
issue or wish it away.
That's why 2020 Vision Executive Director Tom Collina and University of Puget Sound professor, and chair of the Department of Political Science, Patrick O'Neil wrote an editorial on the topic that was published in the (Tacoma) News-Tribune. Read the editorial here.