Of actors, cities and energy systems: advancing the transformative potential of urban electrification

Abstract

The electrification of transportation and the integration of electric vehicles (EVs) with buildings connected to clean grids has been touted as one of the key solutions to the global decarbonization challenge. Cities are on the frontlines of current and future electrification, as they depend on and drive electricity generation, distribution, and use. City actors also occupy a central role in the actions to enable electrification to support energy transitions in efficient, equitable, environmentally sound, and resilient ways. Currently, however, research and development on the interactions between actors, cities and energy systems is predominantly conducted in disciplinary siloes. This topical review analyzes the transformational potential of urban electrification. It focuses on efforts to electrify transportation and integrate EVs with buildings connected to a clean grid. We find that actions in these area are driving change; they are adopted by wealthier populations and on an experimental basis by specific communities. Their larger-scale growth is constrained by institutional, behavioral, and infrastructural factors. We also find that existing siloed disciplinary approaches are often incompatible with advancing holistic research. To achieve that, divergent communities of scholars need to come together to integrate their research and create broader perspectives. Through incorporation of the social sciences, these perspectives need to consider the societal limits and potentials brought to bear by human behavior and decision making. Only then can urban electrification be understood as the empirically rich and socially complex topic that it is. And only with this understanding will innovations and smart policy actions be able to tap into the transformational potential of urban electrification.

More Circular City in the Energy and Ecological Transition: A Methodological Approach to Sustainable Urban Regeneration

“…Cities will be confronted with complex decisions in relation to the mix of renewable sources, types of fuels, and levels of automation in demand management [39]. Changing patterns of energy generation and consumption are more likely to be adopted by wealthier urban populations and on an experimental basis by specific communities within the city [40]. For this reason, policies aimed at the expansion of electrification need to consider the portfolio of public assets-such as disused public properties-as ways to support energy transitions in equitable ways.…”

Toward Human-Centric Transportation and Energy Metrics: Influence of Mode, Vehicle Occupancy, Trip Distance, and Fuel Economy

“…There are additional considerations on the use of renewable or clean energy for mobility choices, with increased interest in this topic specifically for the clean electrification of mobility systems ( 36 – 38 ). As an example analysis of future transportation scenarios, the U.S. Department of Energy’s SMART Mobility Laboratory Consortium developed scenario results on changes in energy impacts based on vehicle miles traveled, person miles traveled, and speeds with lower or higher sharing (or occupancy) and comparing mobility-as-a-service deployments of automated vehicles to personally owned connected and automated vehicles ( 39 ).…”

More Circular City in the Energy and Ecological Transition. A Methodological Approach to Sustainable Urban Regeneration

“…Cities will be confronted with complex decisions in relation to the mix of renewable sources, types of fuels, and levels of automation in demand management [36]. Changing patterns of energy generation and consumption are more likely to be adopted by wealthier urban populations and on an experimental basis by specific communities within the city [37]. For this reason, policies aimed at the expansion of electrification need to consider the portfolio of public assets -such as disused public properties-as ways to support energy transitions in equitable ways.…”