Author Archives: Thad Curtz

T3. – Lower costs of public charging Grizzl-E sells chargers that work with a single power control and payment system to reduce costs. Individual charging stations can be dedicated for private or public use and can accept coins, credit cards, … Continue reading →

T3._ Retrofit existing 220V outlets Retrofit existing 220 volt outlets to provide outlets for charging outlets. Plugzio provides several different models which are drop-in replacements for outlets and junction boxes, but provide access control, consumption monitoring and usage monetization for … Continue reading →

T3. Moratorium on new gas stations As the cost of batteries drops and electricity becomes the primary transportation fuel, gas stations will become vacant; converting vacant gas stations to other land uses is costly. They’re sources of local air pollution … Continue reading →

T3._ Discounted auto loans for EV’s Express Credit Union, in Seattle, offers loans for new and used EVs at 0.50% less than their loans for conventional cars, through a program with Plug In America. There’s an on-line application process; they … Continue reading →

G3. _ Financing electric buses The Rocky Mountain Institute’s piece on transitioning to electric buses includes several suggestions about innovative finance mechanisms. Montgomery County, Maryland recently contracted to lease 300 electric school buses. This avoids the problem of their increased … Continue reading →

G4._ Municipal carbon budgeting Integrate city wide and department carbon reductions into the annual financial budgeting process. Oslo manages its municipal emissions as an integral part of its annual budget process – setting goals; calculating allowable emissions for the year; … Continue reading →

B5._ Geothermal microdistricts Reduce geothermal costs by building systems to serve small areas, using existing pipes. A pilot project in New York State is using an existing city drinking water line to supply the heat for a 40,000 sq. ft. … Continue reading →

B5._ Solar for vouchers Offer support for expanded affordable housing through subsidies for solar on the roofs. The Metropolitan Council of Minneapolis–Saint Paul, a regional planning agency, has a pilot program offering incentives that reduce solar costs to suburban rental … Continue reading →

These are based on the reports from a few of the locations covered by TRPCs 2019 survey of the county sites covered by the State’s commute trip reduction law, and tailpipe emissions. Eliminating one daily single passenger auto commute Olympia … Continue reading →

B5._ Vehicle to building technology Use energy from EV batteries to shift peak building loads and provide emergency power to buildings. Boulder is running a pilot program with two-way charging technology from Fermata Energy, which stores cheap off-peak power in … Continue reading →