Peter Miller: Do EV’s matter without a clean energy source?

To achieve our target of a 50% greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction by 2030, we need to urgently change our energy sources: The United States cannot achieve a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas without a 3X increase in clean energy’s market share.  

Clean energy is currently only 15-20% of the U.S.’s energy supply (solar accounts for less than 3%). To reduce greenhouse gases by 50%, clean energy needs to grow to 60% while carbon-based energy sources need to drop from 80% to 40%.   

While our drive towards vehicle electrification does reduce GHG emissions at each vehicle, those gains are negated if the electricity comes from carbon-based energy sources.  Electrification has the potential of greatly reducing our GHG production, however, this can only occur if we have transitioned the energy sources that fuel the grid to clean energy sources.   

Are our 2030 goals achievable? And which clean energy sources or set of energy sources should we target?  

There are several initiatives at work in Sacramento that impact the adoption of clean energy.  Join me on Monday, May 23rd at 1:30 PM (PT) to talk with Peter Miller, about energy efficiency policies including net metering changes and other programs, renewables, climate policy, and RD&D. I look forward to learning from Peter and discussing our policies that can help achieve our goals towards clean energy sources that feed our electricity grid. 

About Peter Miller 

Peter Miller has more than 30 years of experience working to develop and implement science-based energy and climate policy. His professional experience includes energy efficiency policy and programs, renewables, climate policy, and RD&D. He has particular expertise in energy efficiency measurement and evaluation and carbon offsets. He currently sits on the board of the Climate Action Reserve and has also served on the California Board for Energy Efficiency and on both independent review panels tasked with evaluating the Public Interest Energy Research program at the California Energy Commission. Miller holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from Reed College and a master’s in resource systems and policy design from Dartmouth College. He is based in NRDC’s San Francisco office.