Cleaner electricity sources mean cleaner electric cars, too. Here's how to get on track to decarbonizing the power and transportation sectors, the two largest emitters in New England.

1. Green Energy Consumers Alliance
has a model to eliminate emissions
from cars in Massachusetts.
Here’s
how

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The average gas-powered car in
New England emits 381 grams of
climate-warming gas per mile.

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The average gas-powered car in
New England emits 381 grams of
climate-warming gas per mile.
That’s a lot! Transportation is the
largest contributor to climate
change in Massachusetts.

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Electric cars are much cleaner.
They emit just 96 grams of climate-
warming gas per mile driven.

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That means every mile driven in an
electric vehicle reduces per-mile
carbon pollution by 74%.

6. Why are electric cars so much
better?

7. First, electric cars are more efficient, so they use less
energy to travel more miles.

8. First, electric cars are more efficient, so they use less
energy to travel more miles.
The energy in a gallon of gasoline translates to…
116 miles
54 miles
30 miles
In a regular
gas car
In a hybrid
gas car
In an
electric car

9. Second, more electricity already
comes from clean, zero-emission
resources than you might think.

10. Here’s a disclosure
label from National
Grid that explains
where Massachusetts’
electricity comes
from.

11. (The 2020 disclosure
labels from
Eversource and ISO-
New England are
nearly identical, so
this is a good
representation for
Massachusetts.)

12. Fossil fuels
40%

13. Zero emission
resources
55%

14. Zero emission
resources
55%
(Mostly hydropower
from eastern Canada)

15. Renewable
resources
with non-zero
emissions
5%

16. That’s right – over half of our
power comes from non-emitting
resources already!
This is a big part of the reason that
electric cars are cleaner than
gasoline-powered cars.

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DRIVEN Even if federal fuel economy standards
improve significantly…

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GAS POWERED CARS
Even if federal fuel economy standards
improve significantly…
the gas-powered cars put on the
road today will continue to
pollute.

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But what about electric cars?
GAS POWERED CARS

20. Massachusetts has two important clean
energy laws on the books.
The Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS)
and the Clean Energy Standard (CES)
ensure that a growing percentage of our
electricity comes from renewable
resources.

21. When we replace emitting resources, like fossil-
fuel-fired power plants, with non-emitting
resources, like wind and solar, everything that
runs on electricity gets cleaner over time.

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The laws in place now will help EVs go from
here…
GAS POWERED CARS

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… to here, depending on which emitting
resources are replaced first.
GAS POWERED CARS

24. Put another way, a gas car
purchased in 2021 with 29 MPG
emits 381 grams per mile driven.

25. Put another way, a gas car
purchased in 2021 with 29 MPG
emits 381 grams per mile driven.
In 2030, the same car will still emit
381 grams per mile.

26. The average electric car purchased
in 2021 emits 96 grams per mile
driven.

27. The average electric car purchased
in 2021 emits 96 grams per mile
driven.
In 2030, because of the cleaner
electricity grid, the same car will
emit just 65 grams per mile.

28. Getting electric vehicles on the
road today provides a clear
pathway to eliminating carbon
pollution.

29. Getting electric vehicles on the
road today provides a clear
pathway to eliminating carbon
pollution.
Let’s jump forward to 2050.

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This is the trajectory for how clean electric cars
will be by 2050 based on current state law.

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This is the trajectory for how clean electric cars
will be by 2050 based on current state law.
2% more renewable
energy annually
through 2024…

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This is the trajectory for how clean electric cars
will be by 2050 based on current state law.
3% more renewable
energy annually between
2025 and 2029...

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This is the trajectory for how clean electric cars
will be by 2050 based on current state law.
…then 1% more
renewable energy
annually until 2050

34. The Massachusetts Clean Energy &
Climate Plan suggests increasing
the Clean Energy Standard to 60%
by 2030.

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If we do, EV emissions will drop even faster.

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We could have 100% emissions-free vehicles by 2050.

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EVs in 2030 would emit just 11% of the average gas-powered car.

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We can still do better.
EVs in 2030 would emit just 11% of the average gas-powered car.

39. We urge Massachusetts to follow
Rhode Island’s goal to get 100%
Renewable Energy by 2030.

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If we are aggressive with clean energy policies, we can
eliminate vehicle pollution from EVs by 2030.

41. It would be easy to meet the more
ambitious energy policies...
because we have more
renewable energy projects
coming online than what is
needed to fulfill current state
standards.

42. By 2024, 20% of Massachusetts’
power will come from Canadian
hydropower.
Shortly thereafter,14% of our power
will come from Vineyard Wind and
Mayflower Wind projects.
And we’ll have much more solar
through 2030!

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The 100% by 2030 pathway is doable and compounds
the benefit of each electric car on the road.

44. There’s a way to reduce emissions
at the local level even sooner.

45. Cities and towns in Massachusetts
are taking it upon themselves to
demand more renewable energy
than is required by state law.

46. By adopting the model of Green
Municipal Aggregation,
communities can pay less for
electricity than is less polluting.
How does that apply to electric
vehicles?

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Let’s assume Massachusetts updates the
Clean Energy Standard, as outlined in the
draft 2030 Clean Energy & Climate Plan.

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If a community agrees to support an extra
10% renewable energy beyond what is
required…

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… EVs will become 100% zero-emissions 10
years sooner than the rest of the state.

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If a community agrees to support an extra
30% renewable energy beyond what is
required…

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EVs charged there will be 100% zero-
emissions before the end of the decade.

52. We estimate that by the end of 2021,
the GMA model will be responsible for
increasing voluntary demand for
renewable energy by roughly 700,000
to 1 million megawatt-hours per year.

53. That’s the equivalent of about
200 large-scale wind turbines.

54. Sounds good, right?

55. Sounds good, right?
Here’s how you can help make this all
happen.

56. 1. Encourage your community to
opt up to more renewable energy.
Support adoption of Green Municipal
Aggregation and opt up to support
more renewables.

57. 2. Make your next car electric.
Check out available models at
greenenergyconsumers.org/drivegreen

58. Learn more at
GreenEnergyConsumers.org

59. Sources
Our math is based on work and data by Synapse Energy
Economics, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and the draft
Massachusetts Clean Energy & Climate Plan.
• Union of Concerned Scientists EV Emissions Tool
• Synapse Energy Economics
• Massachusetts Clean Energy & Climate Plan – December
2020 draft

60. A few notes…
• The year-to-year change in emissions will depend on which
emitting resources are replaced with renewable energy
generation. Our estimates are an average for the next 10
and 30 years.
• We do not account for the emissions involved in producing
lithium-ion batteries or extracting fossil fuels. Studies
comparing full lifecycle emissions show EVs reduce
emissions (and natural resource consumption) substantially
compared to gas-powered cars.