Hillsborough County plans for electric vehicles

Hillsborough County is still moving towards energy diversity.  As we receive daily news about the risks and costs of drilling for oil, it's refreshing to see our government doing something other than avoiding the controversy. 

Florida is a net importer of electricity from Alabama and South Carolina. [1] Planning for electric vehicle use, including cars and trains, will require more than a refueling infrastructure and changes to our roadways to support tracks.  These changes will require more electricity.  Oil is the source of over a million small powerplants that move our cars, busses, and trains around Florida.  If we replace that oil energy with centrally generated electricity, we are going to need independence from Alabama and South Carolina too.  Florida needs to start considering ways to increase power generation across the state. 

From 83 Degrees June 01, 2010

Project Get Ready: Hillsborough County Embraces Electric Car Initiative

The Hillsborough County Commission has unanimously approved a resolution to move forward with a program that encourages the use of electrically powered vehicles.

The commission has elected to take part in Project Get Ready, a national initiative that aids cities in switching from gas-powered to electric vehicles (EVs). According to County Commissioner Rose Ferlita, the regional initiative will be led locally by the Tampa Regional Planning Council.

"Project Get Ready is a great fit for what we have already put in place and continue to expand here in Hillsborough County," says Ferlita. "Our sustainability efforts include focusing on a countywide alternative transportation vehicle plan that includes electric as well as natural gas vehicles.

According to Ferlita, the project's goals include:

 

• attracting original equipment manufacturers to Tampa Bay
• educating the public about the positive economic impact and potential growth in green jobs a communitywide switch to EVs may offer
• reducing vehicle and total green house gas emissions
• increasing use of alternative and/or innovative energy and decreasing dependence on traditional fuel sources

  Research indicates that one electric car reduces carbon emissions by approximately 66 percent and costs less than $1 a day to drive. According to the Get Ready website, Tampa Bay is a case study in which challenges such as coordinating utilities will be addressed and hopefully serve as a best practices model for other cities to embrace electrically powered vehicles.

  "Transportation is a key component," says Ferlita. "Not only for Hillsborough County but for the entire Tampa Bay region. We're looking at multimodal and I support that. But, we must also look at 'multifuel' opportunities as we move forward."

  Writer: Missy Kavanaugh