Will Electric Vehicles Drive Distribution Grid Upgrades?: The Case of California

The finite nature of fossil fuels, THE effects of climate change, and concerns about air-quality issues are each stimulating initiatives in many sectors of the economy to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide pouring into the atmosphere. Much attention is focusing on the transportation sector, an especially large contributor of greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, approximately 23% of total energy-related carbon dioxide emissions come from vehicles. The widespread push for alternatives to gasolinepowered vehicles has led to cumulative sales of more than 4 million electric vehicles (EVs) worldwide. In California, cumulative sales of EVs passed 500,000 in November 2018.