Session No. 5C
Jacobs Platinum: Electric Vehicles — Planning, Policy, and Psychology
Hear from a diverse set of professionals as we explore the electrification of our transportation fleet. Discussions will center around planning efforts needed for electrification, policy direction for electric vehicles (EVs) in Pennsylvania, and the psychology behind the decision to purchase an EV.
Moderator: Darren Black, Jacobs Engineering
How State Government is Supporting More Electric Vehicle Use in Pennsylvania
- Emily Watts, Executive Policy Specialist, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Why the Electrification of the Transport Network is Much More than Simply Changing the Vehicle Engine
- Alec Curley, Senior Associate Director, Jacobs Engineering
TBD
- Alissa Burger, Policy Manager, Electrification Coalition
Bios
As an Executive Policy Specialist, Emily Watts performs policy analysis and development work for the Secretary of Transportation and the Director of the Governor's Policy Office to ensure that the Administration's transportation goals are met. Watts assists with developing proposed changes to state and federal legislation; conducts research on policy and program issues, legislation, federal agency proposals and regulatory issues to develop Departmental Policy; studies and evaluates policy initiatives in other states and reports on findings and recommendations; assists with supporting the Secretary’s office on a variety of issues; and represents the Department and the Secretary on task forces, boards, committees and commissions.
Alec Curley is a Director based in the UK operations of Jacobs Engineering with responsibility for leading their UK and European Electric Mobility offering across all market sectors. As part of this role, he has a comprehensive track record of delivering electric vehicle infrastructure strategies, fleet transition, appraisal and ultimately the design of electric mobility interventions for both public and private sector organizations. Having worked across a wide range of Electric Mobility projects, he has both a wealth of technical expertise alongside a detailed understanding of the challenges associated with both planning and delivery. Curley has also been central to driving innovation and thought-leadership through the industry. He was part of the team responsible for establishing a Centre of Excellence for Electric Mobility in the UK with Newcastle University which has then been utilized to develop a range of solutions that are supporting clients with planning for the roll-out of charging infrastructure and the transition of operational fleets. Over the last 12 months, Curley has been primarily focused on the application of data sets to understand likely consumer behavior in terms of how charging points are utilized and how this should inform the roll-out of future networks across different geographies.
Alissa Burger is a Policy Manager with the Electrification Coalition advancing the transition to EVs through diverse policy initiatives. As Policy Manager, Burger engages with states to pursue executive, legislative, and regulatory action, such as enhancing incentives and removing other barriers to adoption, to drive EV adoption in key states. In addition, Burger brings to this position regulatory expertise which benefits the EC’s engagement with public utility commissions and utilities in their role supporting the transition to Evs. She also works in partnership with the program team to support policies specific to advancing medium- and heavy-duty electrification. Burger’s cumulative experience has allowed her to work intimately on both city and state policy; focusing on transformative market mechanisms, clean energy investment, urban innovations, and climate resiliency.
