Contact: Noah Barnes, Electrification Coalition
noah@electrification.org, (202) 461-2371
WASHINGTON—In response to President Biden’s State of the Union address, Electrification Coalition (EC) Executive Director Ben Prochazka made the following statement:
“It is clearer now than ever before that the future of American transportation is electric.
“Every day, more and more American citizens, companies, and cities are choosing to replace their internal combustion engine vehicles with electric vehicles (EVs) and invest in the supporting charging infrastructure. This transition from oil to electricity is already having profound impacts at all levels of American society; bolstering national security, creating tens of thousands of high-quality American jobs, and improving air quality in historically underserved communities.
“During last night’s State of the Union address, President Biden called attention to Belvidere, Ill., where an auto factory was on the verge of closing, but now a new EV battery plant will create more than 1,000 new jobs. This is just one example of how the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are unlocking the potential of American manufacturing and billions in private sector investments around the country to create good American jobs and build an electrified transportation future.
“The Biden administration has played a significant part in helping accelerate momentum and drive progress as we revolutionize our transportation sector. The State of the Union also highlighted the 500,000 EV charging stations that are being deployed across the country through the historic federal investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. Because of these laws, in 2023, 2,400 electric school buses were distributed to schools courtesy of the Environmental Protection Agency’s BIL-funded Clean School Bus program, the number of electric public transit buses in the U.S. doubled, and the number of federally funded public EV chargers surpassed 161,000. This is just the beginning.
“We commend the Biden administration on their continuing commitment to supporting the energy transition, but the work is not done. To not fall behind on the world stage, the U.S. needs to focus on developing strong U.S.- and ally-based EV supply chains. This is crucial to bolster American economic and national security, keeping the U.S. economy independent from foreign entities who do not share American democratic values.
“The Electrification Coalition is proud to offer policy expertise and technical support, as well as helpful resources that accelerate the EV transition:
- the EV Funding Finder, a user-friendly tool to identify federal funding opportunities;
- the DRVE tool, which offers unique, turnkey analysis for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty fleet electrification;
- the Electric Freight Dashboard, which tracks data about the state of freight electrification in the U.S.;
- and dozens of other resources available on ElectrificationCoalition.org.
“Next week, the Electrification Coalition will host thought leaders like North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, and South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster at the second annual SAFE Summit in Washington, DC, March 12–13. Register now for this important event.”
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About the Electrification Coalition: The Electrification Coalition is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes policies and actions to facilitate the widespread adoption of plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) on a mass scale to overcome the economic, public health and national security challenges that stem from America’s dependence on oil. ElectrificationCoalition.org