The Shift From Gas to Grid: A Roundtable on Transportation Electrification in Rural Florida

On February 28, the EC convened local and state leaders for a roundtable discussion on vehicle electrification in rural Florida. Community leaders, industry representatives, and policymakers shared insights on best practices, funding opportunities, and community needs. Participants talked about the many benefits of EVs to Floridians, including the lower operating costs and increased economic development opportunities. Implementing charging infrastructure will also require a large-scale on-the-ground effort, which will create high-quality jobs for rural communities in Florida.

Related resources: 

  • Electric Vehicles in Rural Communities: A guide that outlines a suite of recommendations and resources to accelerate the electrification of transportation outside the urban setting. It identifies the most effective strategies rural towns and counties can use to expand charging infrastructure, transition fleets to electric vehicles, support EV adoption by consumers, and harness electrification as an economic development opportunity.
  • EV Funding Finder: A user-friendly tool that helps users sort through almost three dozen available federal funds for transportation electrification in order to understand how investments can be matched and see where technical assistance is available. 
  • Inflation Reduction Act Impact on Electric Vehicles: Includes various factsheets on the different EV provisions, and frequently asked questions.
  • Florida EV Policy: The EC’s web page on engagement with Florida policy work on the local, state, and federal levels.
  • Dashboard for Rapid Vehicle Electrification (DRVE): A total cost of ownership tool that provides a quick and easy analysis for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty fleet electrification. It can evaluate various procurement ownership structures, vehicle types, electric vehicle charging configurations, and many more scenarios for fleet managers planning for electrification.
  • State Plug-In Adoption Resource Kit (SPARK): An online database of resources and a step-by-step guide to help state government fleets adopt electric vehicles. Resources featured in SPARK’s searchable database include an inventory of fleet transition goals, policy guidance, case studies, legislation, technical support documents, and tools.

 

Amy Malaki

Amy Malaki is the Director of Partnerships and Policy at SkyNRG and SkyNRG Americas, pioneering global leaders in sustainable aviation fuel production and supply. Prior to SkyNRG, Amy was the Associate Director for the transportation portfolio at the ClimateWorks Foundation where she developed philanthropic investment strategies to advance a sustainable, equitable and low-carbon mobility system. She also pioneered the organization’s international aviation decarbonization strategy. Prior to that she focused on Asia business development at Better Place, a Silicon Valley electric vehicle network startup. She has a B.A. in Chinese and China studies from the University of Washington and an M.A. in international policy studies (energy and environment) from Stanford University.