Electrification of vehicles, appliances, and machines that are currently powered by fossil fuels offers environmental gains, new new business opportunities for power providers, may ease management of the electricity grid, and can save utilities and consumers money. No wonder the term “electrification” appears to be the buzzword of the day. But not all electrification is created equal. Many may see electrification simply as load growth. Finding the sweet spot that results in beneficial electrification—electrification that maximizes the full range of societal benefits available—can be tricky. Indeed, it could emerge as a critical task for regulators and policymakers in the coming years.

In a webinar held on May 16th, Ken Colburn and Jim Lazar built on an earlier beneficial electrification webinar, to unpack:

• Beneficial electrification’s characteristics and advantages;
• End-use technologies and circumstances that can drive beneficial electrification—as well as those that may not;
• Possible metrics for gauging beneficial electrification and “emiciency” (emissions efficiency);
• Do’s and Don’ts related to when electrification is beneficial, and when it may not be; and
• Issues that regulators may face as beneficial electrification gains ground.