New Jersey

...administration right now but I need to state that in New Jersey serviced by the PJM grid, if one includes, as one should, the cost of embodied energy, an electric car has a higher climate impact than an internal combustion powered car.

The reason is that the PJM grid has a lot of coal and gas plants on it. As of this writing, our climate gas intensity is 496 grams of CO₂ per kWh, rather dirty. Almost no solar plant in this State is producing electricity right now as they are all covered with snow and ice, and will be so until mid February, given the long term forecast.

A hybrid car has the lowest impact on this grid.

Our new Governor, Governor Sherrill, has stated she'd like to add nuclear plants to the two we already have. Over the long term this will help, but for now, an electric car is not very clean in New Jersey.