Gas-burning vehicles make up nearly half of New Orleans' greenhouse gas emissions, according to the city. So meeting the zero-emission goal will depend on convincing — and incentivizing — residents to switch to battery-operated vehicles over the next couple decades.
The goal is for 40% of all passenger and light-duty vehicles registered in Orleans Parish to be battery-operated by 2035. There's a long way to go: Electric vehicles make up just 1% of registered vehicles in New Orleans, according to Matt Rufo, transportation manager for the Office of Resilience and Sustainability.
"It's important that we have a very comprehensive strategy, not only informed by the latest trends and best practices around the country, but also informed by the priorities and the attitudes of our citizens," Rufo said.
To that end, the city is kicking off a series of public meetings this month, along with an online survey to learn how residents think about electric vehicles, including what might encourage them to make the switch.
Officials say the feedback will culminate in an "Electric Transportation Roadmap," which they hope to complete within the next nine months. Rufo said it will also consider workforce and economic development strategies for positioning New Orleans to participate in the electric vehicle industry.
CHARGING STATIONS
The city, along with Entergy, has already installed 30 public electric vehicle charging stations that are scattered across the city and free to use. Rufo said experts recommend one charging station for every 20-30 vehicles.
By that standard, the city needs more than double the number of charging stations to match the 2,000 electric vehicles currently registered in New Orleans. That could be accomplished in spades if a pending federal grant application is successful — it would add another 160 stations, Rufo said.
"That's not guaranteed," Rufo said of the grant. "But we'll be exploring some other strategies, besides federal grants, to get chargers in the ground."
OTHER STRATEGIES
The emissions reduction strategy extends beyond passenger vehicles. Next year, the city will begin offering rebates between $600 and $1,200 on electric bikes purchased at local shops, Rufo said.
And the Regional Transit Authority announced Friday that it had obtained a $950,000 federal grant for a consultant to help plan its Bus Rapid Transit project, which would connect New Orleans East, the Central Business District and Algiers through a single bus line. The idea is to make bus service more efficient, with newer, lower-emission vehicles.
The city is also aiming to replace its own fleet of vehicles, though progress has been slow. The administration wants 75% of its fleet of about 1,700 vehicles to be low or no-emission by 2035. The city just bought its first 10 electric vehicles last year.
Rufo said his office has developed a plan to completely replace the fleet with electric vehicles over the next decade, but "it's going to require, of course, proper appropriation of funding over time."
"It also requires that we develop the charging infrastructure," he said.
NOT WAITING FOR THE STATE
The city adopted its climate plan under former Mayor Mitch Landrieu in 2017, and officials were encouraged by then-Gov. John Bel Edwards's parallel plan for the state to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Gov. Jeff Landry , who took office this year, has indicated that he does not favor the policy. Landry said in November 2023 that he believes carbon-neutral policies are "extremely destructive on the economy," and he has previously called climate change a "hoax."
While that could mean limited or no support from Baton Rouge as the city pursues its climate goals, Rufo said officials will work with the resources available , including direct federal grants, local regulations and public-private partnerships.
"We're not going to wait for the state to clear the way for us," Rufo said.
WEIGH IN
The online survey is available at https://nola.gov/next/resilience-sustainability/topics/transportation/transportation-electrification/.
The three meetings will take place at 5:30 p.m. at the following locations:
- Nov. 12 : East New Orleans Regional Library , 5641 Read Boulevard
- Nov. 13 : Algiers Regional Library , 3014 Holiday Drive
- Nov. 14 : Milton H. Latter Memorial Library , 5120 St. Charles Avenue
