MARC joins “Project Get Ready” to develop a Greater Kansas City Plug-In Readiness Plan

The Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) and the Metropolitan Energy Center are leading the work in a new partnership with a broad-based and growing coalition of area local governments, academic institutions, businesses, utilities, labor unions and other organizations. The group is working to prepare the region's consumers, businesses and local governments for electric vehicles coming to market over the next few years. More information about work completed so far is available at: http://www.kcenergy.org/transp-PlugInTaskForce.html

Project Get Ready is an initiative led by Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) to help communities prepare for and accept plug-in vehicles including full battery electric (EV or BEV), plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) and converted hybrid or internal combustion vehicles. The initiative and website (www.projectgetready.com) focus on actions that communities must take to be ready for the plug-in transition and to serve as a hub for collaboration between city officials, investors, technology providers, and consumers.

Project Get Ready, in conjunction with its partners, will undertake the following:

1. Create a menu of actions for community leaders to take to make their communities plug-in ready;
2. Create an online database of readiness activities;
3. Work one-on-one with three cities to create local coalitions and charters;
4. Regularly convene at least 20 cities with technical advisors to share lessons learned and best practices;
5. Develop a benchmark so communities can prove their readiness;
6. Document the progress made by participant cities in order to help quantify future demand and make it more transparent to industry (how much, where, and what type of support to expect) for PHEVs/EVs.
7. Provide helpful background and educational materials on plug-in readiness.

The Kansas City region is the ninth area to join the project. The mission of the Greater Kansas City Plug-In Readiness Initiative is to create a comprehensive plan for metro Kansas City that enables widespread adoption of plug-in vehicles. It has created six stakeholder groups working under a steering committee to compare Project Get Ready’s menu of actions against the local landscape to determine how best to use our community resources to form a vibrant plug-in vehicle ecosystem in the metro. 

Rocky Mountain Institute is an independent, entrepreneurial, 501(c)(3) nonprofit. RMI's research and consulting staff works with businesses, communities, and organizations around the world in three interconnected practices: the built environment, energy and resources, mobility and vehicle efficiency. RMI's work incorporates a unique blend of whole-system thinking, integrative design, end-use/least-cost analysis, and an interdisciplinary knowledge of advanced technologies and techniques. For more information, visit www.rmi.org.