Electric vehicles (EVs) are a great way to clean up the transportation sector—one of the largest contributors of carbon emissions in the United States. But an electric vehicle is only as clean as the electricity that powers it.
As America’s largest source of carbon-free power, nuclear energy facilities will play an important role in powering our rapidly growing fleet of EVs without emissions. In response, electric utilities that operate nuclear power plants are investing in a range of initiatives to pave the way.
Duke Energy Corp., which operates 11 reactors, announced April 1 that it is investing $76 million in North Carolina’s electric vehicle infrastructure, the largest initiative of its kind in the Southeast. Duke Energy plans to help fund nearly 2,500 new charging stations as well as electric school buses and electric public transportation in the state.
“North Carolina deserves a cleaner and smarter energy future, and supporting the use of electric transportation is a Duke Energy priority that will benefit our communities, customers and our state’s future,” said Lang Reynolds, Duke Energy’s director of electrification strategy. “This initiative will help accelerate public and private EV use while also reducing carbon emissions.”
Building out the network of charging stations bridges an important gap for the rapidly growing number of EV owners.
EVs Need Clean Energy Sources Like Nuclear
Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) predicts global EV sales will surge from 1.1 million in 2017 to 30 million by 2030, creating significant additional demand for the electricity to charge them. BNEF predicts that EVs could capture 50 percent of the new car market by 2040. Demand for E-buses is growing even faster than electric cars, BNEF said. And the growth in all types of EVs will increase demand for carbon-free generation, of which nuclear is the largest source.
Because nuclear plants generate massive amounts of reliable, emissions-free power and operate at night when EVs are often charging, they are important parts of the infrastructure for charging EVs. It is not difficult to decipher that if your electricity comes from zero-emission sources such as solar, wind, hydro or nuclear power, your EV will run much cleaner than if powered by fossil fuel sources. Electric cars charged with energy from fossil fuels have a carbon footprint approaching cars that run on gasoline.
The Union of Concerned Scientists—which has acknowledged the critical role our nuclear plants play in combating climate change—offers an online tool where owners can see how clean their electric vehicle is according to its make, model and ZIP code where it is charged. What becomes apparent is that EV owners in states with higher proportions of nuclear, such as South Carolina or Illinois, are likely to have smaller greenhouse gas footprints.
Clean Energy Companies Pave Way for EVs
Duke Energy proposed another $10 million EV pilot program for South Carolina last year. The Charlotte-based utility is one of several major nuclear plant operators that are a driving force behind the EV revolution.
Xcel Energy Inc. is investing $25 million in a three-pronged approach announced last year to expand EV use in Minnesota. The Xcel Energy plan includes a pilot program for home charging, public charging infrastructure and working with communities and business customers to convert their fleets to EVs.
Because 58 percent of Xcel Energy’s generation mix in the upper Midwest is carbon-free—mostly from its four nuclear reactors and wind power—the company is well-positioned to power those EVs cleanly.
EVs present an opportunity to make the most of our clean energy investments while creating new and affordable options for our customers.
Exelon Corp. has gone with an initiative called EZ-EV to help its customers’ transitions to EVs, which features a platform where customers can pick out the EV that’s right for them. EZ-EV also provides information about incentives, including some offered by Exelon subsidiaries.
Exelon, which operates 22 reactors, is also an investor in ChargePoint, which is the world’s largest EV charging network.
For now, most of America’s largest metropolitan areas do not have adequate charging infrastructure to accommodate the expanding herd of EVs, and experts say electric utilities must lead the way.
“Electric utilities are key partners for rolling out EV charging infrastructure programs—they are responsible for providing the energy and grid connection for residential, commercial, corridor and destination charging,” said Amanda Myers, policy analyst at Energy Innovation.
It is good that U.S. utilities are getting started now, because the transition to EVs will also push up global electricity demand, especially for power from carbon-free sources. This could translate into demand for new nuclear generation. BNEF expects that EVs and E-buses will consume 2,000 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2040, about 6 percent of global demand. It would take about 250 average reactors (about 1 gigawatt each) to provide this additional power.
Nuclear Energy Helps EVs Reduce Carbon
If we truly want to protect the climate, we need to decarbonize as many sectors of the economy as we can—a fact that Bill Gates and other climate thought leaders frequently reference. It’s not only about what kind of car we drive, but how we power our way of life. Nuclear energy makes sure that electric vehicles deliver their full potential as clean alternatives for the transportation sector.
