Electrification Coalition

Background

The Electrification Coalition is an environmentalist nonprofit that promotes replacing oil and gas with electricity as the primary fuel transportation. Founded in 2009, the organization is based in Washington, D.C. ²

In November 2009, business executives including FedEx CEO Frederick W. Smith, then-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn, and NRG Energy CEO David W. Crane convened to announce the formation of the Electrification Coalition. ³ The group named Robbie Diamond founding president and CEO of the Electrification Coalition. ⁴

The new organization set a goal to have 75% of light-duty vehicle miles powered by electricity by 2040, claiming that such a move would reduce both vehicle carbon emissions and U.S. crude oil imports to zero. The founders further urged greater partnerships between China and the United States to promote the usage of electric vehicles. ³

The Electrification Coalition is a partner organization of Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE), another organization founded by Diamond to convince military and business leaders to advocate for left-of-center environmentalist policies on energy. The Electrification Coalition Alliance is the Electrification Coalition’s lobbying arm. ⁵

Research and Partnerships

During its first year, the Electrification Coalition produced a “Fleet Electrification Roadmap,” a whitepaper on expanding the use of electric vehicles. The study focused on electric vehicle deployment and cost of ownership, including the costs associated with charging, maintaining, repairing electric vehicles. General Electric Capital Fleet Services assisted the coalition in the study. ⁶

The Electrification Coalition has also partnered with the Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative, an organization that represents leaders from more than 140 cities and counties focused on expanding their electric vehicle fleets. ⁷

In November 2020, the coalition released a report titled “Electrifying Freight: Pathways to Accelerating the Transition.” The report argues in support of implementing electric trucks, as opposed to diesel-powered trucks that currently account for 98% of trucks on the road. ⁸

In December 2020, the Electrification Coalition partnered with Nestlé to support the company’s freight electrification plan. The coalition is providing advice and expertise to Nestlé on the advantages and challenges of electric freight usage as it expands the pilot program in Ohio. ⁹

Leadership

Robbie Diamond is the founding president of the Electrification Coalition. Diamond is also the founder of SAFE, an environmentalist organization he created in 2006. Before that, Diamond worked as the deputy director of community outreach on former U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman’s 2004 Democratic primary campaign. Diamond formerly worked as director of the Washington, D.C. firm Fontheim International LLC. Before he came to Washington, he was a senior executive at Seagram Spirits and Wine Group. Diamond is also a member of the Electrification Coalition Board of Directors. ⁴

Ben Prochazkathe is the director of strategic initiatives at the Electrification Coalition. He began working with the organization in 2013. He was previously the campaign director for the Save Darfur Coalition, the legislative director for the Colorado Environmental Coalition, the Colorado state director for the New Voters Project, and the Western States field organizer for U.S. Public Interest Research Group. ⁴

Sue Gander is the managing director of electric vehicle policy for the Electrification Coalition. Previously, Gander directed the Energy, Infrastructure and Environment Division at the National Governors Association for more than a decade. She also worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as outreach director for the state and local climate change program and later as program manager for the EPA’s Clean Energy and Environment Partnership Program. ⁴

Andrew Linhardt is the electric vehicle program manager for the Electrification Coalition. He previously worked for the left-of-center Sierra Club, in several roles, including deputy director of the Clean Transportation for All campaign. Before that, Linhardt worked on Capitol Hill. ⁴

Patricia Monahan is a board member at the Electrification Coalition. Monahan also serves on the California Energy Commission. She was formerly a transportation program director at the environmentalist Energy Foundation. Before that, she held several positions at the left-of-center Union of Concerned Scientists. Monahan previously worked for the EPA. ¹⁰

Retired General Charles F. “Chuck” Wald is another board member at the Electrification Coalition. He was previously Deputy Commander at the headquarters for the United States European Command in Stuttgart, Germany. He also served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations at the Pentagon. He is a senior fellow at the center-left Bipartisan Policy Center. Wald is also a director and senior advisor to the Aerospace and Defense Industry practice at Deloitte. Before that, Ward was vice president for international programs for L-3 Communications Corporation. ¹⁰

Lance Bultena is another Electrification Coalition board member. He is senior counsel at Hogan Lovells, a law firm. Before that, Bultena served as counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. ¹⁰