Some of B'more Green's readers recently have posted comments critical of electric vehicles, pointing out that they draw their energy from the electric grid, which in these parts gets half its power from burning coal.
Yes, coal-burning power plants are a major source of greenhouse gases. But does that automatically make an EV worse for the climate than an internal combustion engine?
Nope, according to The Energy Blog. After walking through the details, the blog concludes that burning gasoline produces 21 to 58 percent more carbon dioxide than getting the same amount of energy from the electric grid for a car of similar shape and size.
The Energy Blog is written by an alternative energy advocate. But read the blogger's post here to judge for yourself if it makes the case or not.
As a native West Virginian, I'm well aware there are other environmental issues around coal, including the impacts on streams and forests of mountaintop mining. And though the recession has dampened the demand on our electric grid, there still are issues we need to resolve about ensuring its adequacy for future demand.
But when comparing solely which type of vehicle produces more climate-warming emissions, it appears EVs come out ahead of gas-powered cars and trucks.
(Photo courtesy SemaConnect)