What electric forklifts can teach us about creative policy

On the Catalyst podcast this week:

Wes Whited and Angie Ziech-Malek work for DNV designing efficiency, electrification and decarbonization programs for utilities. Lately, they’ve been paying more attention to electric forklifts.

Approximately 1.5 million forklifts are sold globally every year. Converting that vast fleet to run on lithium-ion batteries could be a cost-effective way to boost electrification — and it could also add a helpful resource for demand management to the grid.

Speeding up adoption means getting the utility involved in the education and promotion process. The forklift example is one of many creative approaches to program design that are emerging in the wake of the Inflation Reduction Act, which expanded incentives for a wide range of clean energy technologies.

In this episode, Wes and Angie talk with Stephen Lacey about how technological progress, creative thinking and the Inflation Reduction Act are all aligning in transformative ways.

After you listen to the episode, make sure to check out DNV’s Energy Transition Outlook North America.