One of the top concerns we at Green Energy Consumers hear from people who are considering switching to an electric vehicle is: "how far can I go?" Well, two of our EV Ambassadors recently completed an 8,854-mile road-trip from Massachusetts all the way to California in an all-electric Kia Niro EV and kindly wrote up this blogpost for us. It's longer than our usual blogposts, but well worth the trip (pun intended!) for all who are interested in the nitty-gritty of taking a really, *really* long road-trip in an all-electric car. The following was all written by Glen Ayers, with a couple of editorial notes from Green Energy Consumers in italics.

If you read our last EV owners blog, then you probably already know a little about what makes people so passionate about their electric vehicles—regenerative braking, quick pick-up, no noise, and of course, zero emissions! Because of this passion, we’ve sold a lot of cars through Drive Green, and the Chevrolet Bolt has consistently been one of the most popular. I spoke with some of our dedicated electric vehicle (EV) owners to see why they’re so committed to their Bolts.

With electric vehicles consistently gaining more and more media attention, we wanted to share what it was that made electric vehicle (EV) owners love their cars so much. I reached out to some of our members who have purchased a vehicle through Drive Green, and they assured me that whether you’re looking to drive across the country, zip through city streets, or even replace your motorcycle, there’s an EV for you! Check out what they had to say below.

Edited by Mal Skowron

Holly Reid and Rich Shaw live in North Carolina.  They have driven a Prius since 2006, but their ever-growing interests in reducing energy consumption drove them to consider purchasing an all-electric vehicle.  They heard about the Drive Green program from their daughter, Indy, who worked at Green Energy Consumers Alliance in 2018. 

Holly and Rich explored their options using the Drive Green webpage and decided to purchase an EV—even if it meant traveling up to New England to complete the deal and driving it back to North Carolina.  And although their small town hosts six EV charging stations, the Reid-Shaws' plan to charge their vehicle at home using solar energy from the rooftop panels they installed on their historic home (ca. 1795). 

Joel Gates and his daughter, Sarah, volunteering to showcase their Chevy Bolt at Audubon's Raptor Weekend in September 2017. 

For Joel Gates, living sustainably is more than just greening his electricity, it is a way of life. A resident of Glocester Rhode Island, Joel has been a part of People’s Power & Light (PP&L) for 13 years. From greening his electricity with ground-mount solar panels and PP&L’s green power programs to driving an all-electric vehicle and advocating for clean energy in Rhode Island, he epitomizes what it means to be a PP&L member.  For these reasons, we are honoring Joel for his dedicated support as the 2018 Member Spotlight Awardee at our 16th Annual Meeting on Thursday, May 17th at the Renaissance Providence Downtown Hotel. Get your tickets at: RIpower.org/16years

On January 17, 2018, ISO New England (“ISO”) released a draft of its Operational Fuel Security Analysis. This study lays out many different possibilities for a 2024/25 winter, assessing the electric grid’s reliability under a varying array of assumptions. ISO’s main finding is clear: adding more renewables and more imports, and increasing the availability of LNG deliveries and backup oil during supply emergencies, will all contribute to improved system reliability.

The “Member Spotlight” series highlights the individuals that make our organization great. Each post tells the story of an outstanding Mass Energy or PP&L member. By sharing their stories we hope to spread the word about their unique efforts and inspire others to follow in their footsteps.

While waiting in her car in Brookline to pick up one of her kids, Michele Putko noticed a lawn sign that read "I Switched to 100% Green Energy, and So Can You. Visit www.massenergy.org." Having previously ruled out solar panels for her home, Putko enrolled in Mass Energy’s New England GreenStart option with the information she gathered from the sign. In a world of unwanted and misleading solicitation regarding “green energy” and ambiguous energy rates, Putko found Mass Energy extremely transparent and reliable.

For the past year, Elisa Grammer has been helping Mass Energy intervene in proceedings at the Department of Public Utilities (DPU). She has assisted our Clean Energy Program Director, Eugenia Gibbons, and Executive Director, Larry Chretien, in writing pleadings related to the Massachusetts three-year energy efficiency plan and electric grid modernization. We have also benefitted from Elisa’s expertise and time in opposing the proposed electricity ratepayer financing of new fracked gas pipeline construction. Even before the release of the reliability study by Analysis Group (commissioned by the AG’s office), Elisa helped Mass Energy argue that utilities should be investing more substantially in energy efficiency and demand response rather than looking to saddle ratepayers with the costs of new gas infrastructure. The Analysis Group report, further validated this point of view and determined that even in a stressed scenario, energy efficiency and demand response both ensure reliability in the cheapest way possible and while delivering environmental benefits, too.

More than a year ago Andy Zucker asked Larry Chretien whether it would be useful if he volunteered to help Mass Energy lobby the state legislature to increase the Renewable Portfolio Standard requiring more renewable energy in our electricity supply. Larry said ‘yes’ and since that time h has met with many legislators and legislative staff. We asked if he would write a Guest Blog, which follows:

If you’re looking to reduce your energy consumption and want an example of how Mass Energy and People’s Power & Light can help, look no further than the family of Ricard Torres-MateLuna and Christine Hatch. As Massachusetts residents, they joined Mass Energy in 2014. Since then, these members have reduced their environmental footprint and cut down their energy bills not only by making their home more energy efficient, but also by participating in our Discount Heating Oil Service, our Mass Solar Connect program, and our pilot Heat Pump Program (MA only). A RI solar program is coming soon! Subscribe to this blog to hear all about it when it happens.