Electrification
Electrification is the shift from powering vehicles and buildings with fossil fuels like natural gas, coal, or gasoline to powering them with electricity. Currently, these two sectors account for most of the city’s carbon emissions.
- 62% of Cincinnati’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions come from buildings including our homes and businesses.
- 31% of Cincinnati’s GHG emissions come from transportation including our cars and buses.
Electrifying our buildings and vehicles will reduce carbon emissions even if the electricity is generated using fossil fuels. More importantly, electrification offers the ability to shift to renewable sources of energy over time which will help Cincinnati meet our bold carbon neutrality goal by 2050.
Building Electrification
Heating, air conditioning, and water heating account for nearly half of the energy used by buildings. Electrifying these systems can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while improving indoor and outdoor air quality, impacting health outcomes, and even potentially lowering household expenses. As the number of renewable energy sources supplying power to the electrical grid expands, the emission reduction benefits increase dramatically.
The City, state, and federal governments as well as community partners are finding ways to support residents and building owners in this transition. Learn more about our area’s building electrification effort Electrify Cincy.
Transportation Electrification
The electrification of the transportation sector is upon us as hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs) begin to replace internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Even with our current electricity grid mix, electric vehicles are not only more efficient, but they are also more affordable over the long-term and healthier for the environment. Similar to building electrification, as our energy grid mix uses ever more renewable energy sources, the environmental impact of EVs will grow.