SCS Global Services (SCS), Electrify America, and Verra have announced the first-ever validation of a carbon-offset project under a new methodology for electric vehicle (EV) charging systems. Electrify America’s achievement—for its direct current (DC) fast chargers—came in June after successful validation and registration of the project’s design under the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) by third-party verification firm SCS.
SCS confirmed that Electrify America’s EV charging stations adhere to a rigorous new methodology describing how charging stations should be able to reduce CO2 emissions compared to the baseline case—fueling and driving gasoline-powered vehicles. Once completed, the project will undergo verification of these CO2 emissions reductions to be eligible to receive Verified Carbon Units or VCUs, the carbon credits issued under the Verified Carbon Standard. The credits can be sold on the voluntary carbon market to companies or entities that want to offset their emissions towards carbon neutrality by purchasing credits directly associated with the transportation sector.
“We are excited to implement this project, which will directly reduce the impact of fossil fuels on our environment and simultaneously open up opportunities for growth in the electric vehicle industry by way of more attractive investment economics,” said Wayne Killen, Director of Infrastructure Planning and Business Development at Electrify America. “Being among the first stakeholders to develop this methodology for electric vehicle chargers, we hope that it will be a turning point for others investing in charging infrastructure to leverage the methodology and actively deploy more charging stations throughout the nation, facilitating the use and adoption of more electric vehicles on the road.”
The VM0038 carbon emissions offset methodology is approved for use under the VCS Program, which is operated by Verra, a non-profit organization that develops and manages standards for climate action and sustainable development. It was pioneered by the Electric Vehicle Charging Carbon Coalition (EVCCC), of which Electrify America was a founding member. The EVCCC was led by Sue Hall, the CEO of the Climate Neutral Business Network, and was recognized in 2019 with a Climate Leadership Award for its innovative partnership approach in developing VM0038.
Electrify America says it is on track to meet its targets of achieving validation and verification for its first 400-plus charging stations early next year, which will include VCUs from 2019 and 2020 in 48 states, excluding California and Oregon, which have compliance marketplaces.
