Racing to electric victory

Picture this. The year is 2050. Heat pumps abound, electric vehicles zip around every corner, and watched pots do boil (super fast), on induction cooktops in American kitchens across the country. Cleaner air inside, cleaner air outside. Roombas (BREW-mbas?) now make coffee.

How do we manifest this renewable reality? We need to electrify more stuff. Faster. How much more? We did the math.

Drum roll……we need 14 million MORE electrified machines than the current rate of adoption over the next three years to meet our climate goals. That’s a lot of heat pumps. But we can do it. (We’ll have to circle back on the Roomba thing.)

Our shiny, new Pace of Progress report tells us how. This report is the first of its kind and we’re pretty amped to share it with all of you.

I’m joining the race to #electrifyeverything! Download Rewiring America’s new Pace of Progress report to learn more!

The road to progress is S-shaped.

When we put our minds (ahem, and $$) to it, Americans are excellent technology bandwagon riders. It’s why we all carry phones in our pockets instead of beepers. Laptops instead of typewriters (unless you’re going for a very specific, recluse-writer vibe). Electric adoption at the level required is more challenging because it involves more pieces and it’s about flipping our entire energy system.

We may still banter about bandwagons and horsepower, but Americans knew when to upgrade the transportation game. Just look at our track record below. Technological adoption journeys are sparked by the arrival of something better. That’s what the suite of electrification machines and appliances offers: they’re just plain better.

Our research team used what we know about S-shaped curve adoption and applied that methodology to the machines that make up 42 percent of American energy-related emissions. From the report: The S-curve adoption model starts off fairly slowly, representing modest increases in adoption in early “runway” years, then begins to accelerate quickly into widespread mass-market adoption (p. 5). The length of the runway varies by machine, but the message is the same: we need to pick up the pace to reach the adoption levels necessary to cross that 2050 emissions finish line.

Most importantly for you, every electrification step you take helps us hit the Pace of Progress. And your heat pump or EV inspires other people to electrify. The pace is extraordinarily ambitious and absolutely possible. What will you electrify first?

Race to rebates.

In more racing news… We’ll keep you updated on rebate programs, but remember that tax credits are available now and it’s never too early to get rewiring ready!

The wire is buzzing about the Pace of Progress

⚡ To reach net-zero emissions, American homes need an electric makeover, Grist

⚡ Chart: Here’s how the US could get heat pumps in every home by 2050, Canary Media

⚡ America needs 14 million new electric machines by 2026, Fast Company