(Posted by John.)
A new study (via Gristmill) by the Electric Power Research Institute and the Natural Resources Defense Council shows that the introduction of plug-in hybrids in the US car market would dramatically improve air quality while saving more oil than Saudi Arabia currently exports. There's not a lot new here, frankly, but this is the kind of thing that just needs to be repeated as often as possible: even if the US electricity sector stays as carbon-intensive as it is today, with zero increase in wind and solar generation, plug-in cars can save money and reduce pollution -- including greenhouse gases. If the electricity sector becomes less carbon-intense, then the benefits become much greater. What the report really adds is a more detailed analysis that nevertheless comes to a similar conclusion to other previous studies.
