PNNL

Abstract

Electrifying the transportation sector stands as a critical imperative in reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases. Beyond emissions reductions, electrifying on-road transportation offers a range of other benefits: increased energy efficiency, reduced total cost of ownership, increased national energy security and independence, and improved air quality. While the basic technologies necessary to electrify our transportation sector are already available, the potential complexity of fully coupling these sectors presents challenges in understanding the full range of benefits and potential risks that may accelerate or slow the transition. To better understand these couplings, this work reviews the structure of the current fossil-fuel based transportation sector (including its dependence on the electric energy sector) and case studies of its vulnerabilities to key risks. We only start to recognize the present sectoral coupling between the electric energy sector and the transportation sector when we take a systems view of the convergent system. Previous studies have not highlighted the role of the sectoral coupling between the transportation and electricity sector. By adopting a systemic perspective, we uncover the indispensable interplay between the transportation and electricity sectors, shedding light on previously neglected dynamics. Leveraging principles of Grid Architecture (GA), we introduce a hierarchical approach to assess vulnerabilities within the prevailing fuel-based transportation system and elucidate pathways for enhancement through electrification.