Because about three quarters of our region’s climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions come from our buildings and transportation, the Accelerator has spearheaded local efforts to promote beneficial electrification of building heating/cooling and transportation. After two years of planning by a steering committee of technical and creative experts, the AMPED: Go All Electric campaign launched on September 24, 2021!
At www.ampedproject.org, you'll find an inspiring launch video, valuable resources, event listings, a blog, compelling local success stories, and more!
What does Go All Electric mean?
Go All Electric is our way of talking about beneficial electrification. Beneficial electrification is the use of cleanly-generated electricity to meet energy needs that would otherwise consume fossil fuels (e.g., natural gas, propane, oil, gasoline). For our region, this primarily means switching our heating systems to heat pumps and combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles, though the concept applies to other technologies as well (e.g., electric lawnmowers, clothes dryers, and induction stoves).
To qualify as “beneficial,” electrification must satisfy at least one of the following conditions, without adversely impacting the others:
Save consumers money over time.
Benefit the environment and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Improve product quality, public health, and consumer quality of life.
Foster a more robust and resilient grid.
Why is beneficial electrification a good idea for our region?
By using renewably-generated electricity instead of fossil fuels to meet our home heating, transportation, and other energy needs, we have the opportunity to dramatically and rapidly reduce local greenhouse gas emissions, while also improving air quality and public health. As demand for electricity grows, we can meet this demand by increasing the production of renewable energy from wind and solar, thereby creating local jobs and generating revenue for municipalities and landowners throughout our region.
Because buildings and transportation are the primary local sources of greenhouse gas emissions, switching to all-electric technologies is a critically important climate solution for our region.
Learn More About Beneficial Electrification
For information about all-electric home heating systems, check out HeatSmart Monroe and Sustainable Homes Rochester. For information about electric vehicles, check out the Rochester EV Accelerator, run by Greater Rochester Clean Cities, a Climate Solutions Accelerator member organization.
