Should CT Go EV?
CT has been determined to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. And a recently proposed gas-powered car ban is one part of this effort. But can CT electricity consumers afford to drive all-electric, especially given the state’s high energy bills? Here’s what you need to know about the CT EV debate.
Why Ban Gas-Powered Cars?
A typical passenger vehicle emits about 4.6 metric tons of CO2 every year. And because nearly 90% of cars in the state are gas-powered, that’s a lot of harmful emissions in the CT air. Governor Lamont’s proposal would ban the sale of gas powered cars by 2035 to prevent this. This follows recent work to make green energy easier to find in the state.
The electric vehicle debate is focused on whether car owners should be mandated to purchase EVs. Republicans have opposed the plan. After all, while electric vehicle sales are on the rise, they still number less than 2% of vehicles on the road. While there is room to debate on why this is, it’s undeniable that EV prices may still be too high for most to afford.
Another problem is the cost of charging electric vehicles. If the state is going to go all EV, there has to be plenty of public charging to go around. However, most commuters can’t rely on charging stations at home or their jobs. In fact, the Department of Energy estimates that there will have to be at least 1,500 more public charging stations by 2025. Not surprisingly, critics of the gas car ban point to the cost to build these stations.
Thankfully, the cost may be offset because CT is set to receive over $14.6 million in grants to install new EV stations.
CT EV Charging Station Situation
At the time of writing, CT has 744 public charging stations. This means we still have a long way to go, to reach current power charging needs. In the short term, expansion and adoption may raise prices. But as renewable energy projects get off the ground, these prices may grow steady and even out. And it’s very likely that going all-electric will protect the state from the volatile natural gas market.
While it’s unclear how this debate will end, one thing is for certain. Something has to be done about the CT air quality problem, and Governor Lamont’s ban may be a great next step. We just have to wait and see how this will affect CT electricity rates and the green energy market.
You can always count on https://www.ctenergyratings.com to keep you up to date on how this story develops. You can also shop for the best energy rates in town, on this site!