Featured Resources

Electrification refers to replacing technologies that run on fossil fuels with viable alternatives that run on clean electricity, like electric vehicles, heat pumps for space and water heat, and induction stoves. As we accelerate efforts to deploy more clean energy, the strategic electrification of our buildings, vehicles, and many industrial machines will shift these end-uses to run on clean electricity, thereby reducing climate emissions across all sectors of our economy. Electrifying our economy by midcentury will benefit the climate and people, especially through improved air quality and public health.

Since every new fossil-fueled car, building appliance, and industrial machine locks in emissions for decades, this transition must start today. Policy approaches vary by sector and must address both retrofits and replacement as well as new equipment. Strong codes and standards for vehicles, buildings, appliances, and equipment will expedite the transition to efficient, all-electric technologies and create a level playing field for the transition. Incentives, financing, and smart rate design for electrification in mind will support widespread uptake of highly-efficient electric equipment, appliances, and vehicles. Ensuring lower-income households, historically underinvested communities, and people living in multi-unit housing have equal access to electric technologies requires bespoke approaches that help overcome known barriers to adoption.

In addition, electrification of more sectors of the economy will require the build out of new infrastructure (like EV chargers for transportation electrification) and streamlined interconnection of clean energy resources to meet increasing demand for power. The reliability and resilience of the clean grid is paramount in this transition.

Podcast

Electrify This! is a podcast focused on electrification as a primary pathway to decarbonize and revitalize our economy. Featuring diverse experts from around the world, the show examines the most important policy, regulatory, and market issues surrounding the shift to electrified transportation, buildings, and industry. Electrify This! helps demystify issues surrounding the transition to clean electricity and the electrification, focusing on successes, challenges, and solutions. Electrify This! is an original Energy Innovation podcast hosted by Sara Baldwin, Senior Director of Electrification.

Our Work

Scaling up electrification across several sectors requires a multi-faceted approach at the federal, state, and local levels. Our work supports policymakers and regulators as they navigate new challenges and opportunities in the era of electrification. We provide analysis, research, and thought-leadership to support informed decision-making. Some of our recent work includes:


Subscribe to Buildings Email Updates

* indicates required


Electrification Team

Electrification Topics

Buildings

Replacing fossil-fuel appliances with highly-efficient electric alternatives, adopting new building codes, and retrofitting existing buildings can help meet a net-zero target by 2050, while providing the U.S. with cleaner air and lower energy bills.

Learn More

Transportation

The U.S. transportation sector is the largest national source of emissions, and burning fuel in vehicles contributes to well-documented public health hazards. Because a typical car, truck, SUV, or motorcycle may run for a decade or more, achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 requires all new car and truck sales be electric starting this decade.

Learn More

Industry

Manufacturing and industry make up approximately one-third of U.S. emissions. Industry’s reliance on fossil fuels to generate heat creates significant potential to decarbonize industry by mid-century through cost-effective electrification, while also growing the economy and creating jobs.

Learn More

Electricity

Supportive policies, favorable economics, and technological innovations are accelerating the United States’ transition to a clean, affordable, and reliable electricity grid.

Learn More