On December 20, 2021, the USEPA finalized new national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for new passenger cars and light trucks (https://www.epa.gov/regulations-emissions-vehicles-and-engines/final-rule-revise-existing-national-ghg-emissions). After the Trump Administration weakened Obama-era standards, these new ones have snapped them back to be even more ambitious, requiring automakers to meet stricter fuel efficiency standards by model year 2026. These new standards will likely result in automakers greatly shifting production to hybrid and/or electric vehicles shortly. While this will have a positive impact on GHG emissions and fuel usage, there is concern about the secondary demands these standards will cause, such as increased demand for batteries and investments in electric chargers and in the grid to maintain stability, along with lighter-weight components.

Beginning with model year 2023, the new rule will increase the stringency of fuel-efficiency requirements each year, by about 5 to 10%. Average fuel economy label values in model year 2026 will be raised from the old rule’s standard of 32 miles per gallon (mpg) to 40 mpg. The rule contains calculations and arguments that these standards will reduce GHG emissions by billions of tons and save the public hundreds of billions in gasoline expenses per year after it is enforce for awhile. The USEPA is beginning to research into the next stage of emission standards, starting with model year 2027 and to cover other vehicles, such as larger-duty trucks.

There is no question that electric vehicles will need to be a part of the way each manufacturer will ensure that they meet the new standards. The USEPA feels that sales of electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles will have to be raised to about 17% by model year 2026 for automakers to achieve compliance, more than doubling the current sales percent. According to the USEPA, the ultimate goal is to achieve “an all-electric, zero-emissions transportation future.”

Many are concerned that the current and predicted short-term infrastructure cannot support such growth, such as the automotive supply chain and convenient electrification for consumers. Electric transmission organizations, power producers, and electricity retailers will need to quickly plan and implement upgrades to transmission infrastructure to meet the anticipated increased demand that will result from a much larger electric fleet nationwide. And this may be a source of lawsuits to stop or reduce the aggressiveness of these new standards.

CCES has the experts to help your entity determine your GHG emissions and reduce it responsibly and economically. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.

2021 was a rough year because of the COVID pandemic, and 2022 is off to a rough start, as a record number of people have caught the Omicron variant. Fortunately, hospitalizations and deaths have not soared because so many people are fully vaccinated and boosted. This is clearly a time of self-reflection for all of us as people, entrepreneurs, business leaders. We must come through and work together to survive these tough times, grow, and profit.

As we think about long-term ways to deal with the virus, we should think this way about how we act professionally. A key is relationships between you and the people you deal with. It’s not simple. Developing trusting relationships is a skill that that must be learned and improved upon. The problem is many of us work in a world of outcomes. We are judged by how much we do, how much we sell, how profitable our division is in a given month or quarter. We’ve been trained to be transactional in how we treat projects and people. However, if you only think of colleagues and outsiders as customers to meet a short-term goal we create relationships that are shallow. Developing relationships that are deep, where colleagues and clients are part of a bigger world, leads to better, long-term, lower-stress outcomes.

How does one act more relational? I wish I knew. I wish it were simple. Here are 3 ways to be more relational. Don’t expect to master these overnight, but you will see the positive outcomes happen for you as a person and in business.

1. RESPECT.  Like the song, spend some time to say hello and inquire respectfully of clients and colleagues, even outside the project. This nearly always pays you back in respect, more teamwork, better outcomes, and, yes, meeting goals, too.
2. Listen.  Strengthen your listening skills. Pay close attention to what your client or colleague says; don’t “hear” it through your lens. Understand his/her viewpoint, listen with empathy, and understand that the other person has needs, too, and may approach the same project from a different and a refreshing prospective, leading to new opportunities that are mutually beneficial in achieving goals.
3. Be Yourself.  Don’t role play, like being the “tough boss” or the “cool” leader. Don’t be something you’re not. Instead, be authentic. Care for others and include them in the team. Yes, “lay down the law”, if needed, for consistency, but also treat your colleagues and clients as you would like to be treated yourself.

You may not like some clients and colleagues personally, but treating all with respect, listening, and being yourself will lead to better long-term results, be less stressful for all, and make you feel happier in business, all so important. A good way to start 2022!

And for those of you who know me, if I don’t follow these actions, please let me know! CCES has the experts to help you solve your technical problems when it comes to energy and environment to maximize the benefits, avoid the pain, and disrupting operations as little as possible. Contact us with any questions. We want to team with you and help. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.