The Menu A list of actions that leaders can take to make their community a plug-in pioneer

The document outlines a 'menu' of 'must have' and 'nice to have' actions for municipal governments, utilities, civic groups, and businesses to facilitate the transition to plug-in vehicles. It uses a hypothetical city modeled on Denver, Colorado, to estimate that achieving a goal of 10,000 plug-in vehicles (2% of registered vehicles) over five years would result in a net cost of approximately $10 million and create 250 net new jobs, while avoiding 2 million gallons of oil annually by 2014.

• The document identifies two primary barriers to the adoption of plug-in vehicles: the high cost of current battery technology and the need for multiple established sectors—including automakers, consumers, utilities, and cities—to coordinate changes simultaneously.
• To become 'plug-in ready,' the guide proposes 15 'must have' actions and 10 'nice to have' actions. 'Must have' actions include committing fleets to purchase plug-ins, creating a collaborative stakeholder group with a dedicated 'champion', fast-tracking permitting for charging stations, and providing affordable Level 2 home-charger installations.
• Based on a hypothetical city modeled on Denver, Colorado, the goal of reaching 10,000 plug-in vehicles (2% of registered vehicles) within five years is estimated to have a net cost of approximately $10 million, shared among the municipality, state, employers, and utilities.
• The transition to 10,000 plug-in vehicles is projected to create 250 net new jobs, with vehicle retrofitting identified as a significant driver of employment.
• Environmental benefits for a city reaching the 10,000 vehicle goal include avoiding 2 million gallons of oil and saving 9,750 tonnes of CO2-e per year by 2014.
• The guide assigns specific roles to different actors: municipal governments lead on permitting and building codes; utilities manage electricity rates and home charger installations; civic groups handle consumer education; and local businesses provide workplace charging and fleet demand.

APA

Schewel, L., & Wilson, J. (2009). The Menu A list of actions that leaders can take to make their community a plug-in pioneer. RMI. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_Project_Get_Ready_Menu_Mar16.pdf

Chicago

Schewel, Laura, and Jenn Wilson. The Menu A list of actions that leaders can take to make their community a plug-in pioneer. RMI, 2009. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_Project_Get_Ready_Menu_Mar16.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Schewel |first1=Laura |last2=Wilson |first2=Jenn |title=The Menu A list of actions that leaders can take to make their community a plug-in pioneer |publisher=RMI |date=18 March 2009 |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_Project_Get_Ready_Menu_Mar16.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{schewel2009menu, author = {Schewel, Laura and Wilson, Jenn}, title = {{The Menu A list of actions that leaders can take to make their community a plug-in pioneer}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2009}, month = mar, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_Project_Get_Ready_Menu_Mar16.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }