SCAG conference showcases EVs, Connect SoCal

Palm Desert, California – As the federal government puts the pedal to the floor on its push for more zero-emission cars and trucks, local and regional lawmakers got a front-seat view of what that could look like.

Nearly 1,000 local and regional leaders gathered this past week in Palm Desert for the Southern California Association of Governments’ (SCAG) 2023 Regional Conference & General Assembly, one of the largest gatherings of its kind in the United States. As the nation’s largest metropolitan planning organizations, SCAG represents six counties, 191 cities and a population of nearly 19 million.

With the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announcing new tailpipe rules that could push EVs to up to two-thirds of all new car sales by 2023 as a backdrop, SCAG offered participants an interactive display of all-electric and alternative-fuel vehicles.

“Electric vehicles already play a bigger role than any of us could have dreamed of a decade ago. We can only imagine the possibilities moving forward, particularly in our region which faces multi-layered, constantly evolving transportation challenges,” said Jan Harnik, a Palm Desert City Councilmember and President of SCAG’s Regional Council.

This year’s conference previewed SCAG’s 2024 Connect SoCal Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy – a comprehensive roadmap for meeting the mobility, environmental and quality-of-life needs for Southern California over the next 25 years. Today, gas prices are high, goods movement has changed after the pandemic and the region overall is in jeopardy of not meeting state air-quality mandates.

New vehicle technology, sustainable public transportation and land-use planning that better connects where people work and live are all seen as critical elements in addressing the region’s challenges.

“Each year, our General Assembly is an opportunity to have meaningful discussions on the challenges we face as a region and what we need to do to address them. As we build toward our 2024 Connect SoCal plan, the input we gather from the region’s top thought leaders will play a vital role in developing effective strategies for the future,” said Kome Ajise, SCAG Executive Director.