01.22.07

Study by Tri-Cities National Lab Says Electricity Grid Could Power Most U.S. Vehicles

PNNL report says grid underutilized most of the time, could help reduce greenhouse gases and increase energy independence

WASHINGTON, DC – Monday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced the release of a report by Tri Cities-based Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) on the potential of plug-in hybrids. According to the study, the U.S. electricity grid is underutilized most of the time, and, with the proper plan in place, could deliver enough power to fuel most of the country’s cars and light trucks, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions and curbing our reliance on foreign oil.

“This report confirms that the electricity we create right now could power 70 percent of our cars, pickup trucks, and SUVs,” said Cantwell, a member of the Senate Energy Committee. “It simply makes no sense to continue relying on foreign fuel sources so heavily when we have the technology right here at home to power most of the cars in America. Taking full advantage of our existing infrastructure could curb our oil consumption by millions of barrels each day.”

The U.S. electricity infrastructure is intended to meet demand during peak periods and is therefore often underutilized, operating at peak capacity approximately 5 percent of the time. According to PNNL, our current electricity infrastructure could support an estimated 70 percent of America’s light duty vehicle (LDV) fleet, which includes cars, pickup trucks, vans, and sport utility vehicles. This would displace 6.5 million barrels of oil each day—an amount equivalent to 50 percent of our oil imports—and cut greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 20 percent.

Batteries on plug-in hybrids, the vehicle type examined in the PNNL study, are typically charged at night when overall electricity consumption is minimal. Charging a plug-in hybrid at the current national average residential rate of 9 cents per kilowatt amounts to a cost equivalent to $1 per gallon of gas. Regional differences in electricity prices would result in a high of $1.60 per gallon in New York and a low of $0.70 per gallon in Washington state.

Last year, Cantwell introduced the Clean EDGE Act, a comprehensive energy proposal that enjoyed the support of 24 cosponsors and contained significant incentives for plug-in hybrid vehicles. Currently, Cantwell is working with a bipartisan group of senators to develop legislation aimed specifically at promoting the production and adoption of plug-in hybrids, which they plan to introduce in the next few weeks.

PNNL, one of nine U.S. Department of Energy science and technology laboratories nationwide, performs research on a range of subjects, including homeland security to energy.

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