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Originally published on the NRDC Expert Blog.
By Amanda Eaken and Sarah Kline, Federal Transportation Consultant to NRDC.

The Biden administration has set an ambitious climate goal for America: a 50 percent decrease in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. To reach this goal, changing the way we move must be key since transportation is the largest contributor of GHGs in the United States.

Fortunately, cities are already leading the way. My colleagues and I have been working since 2018 with 25 cities as part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies American Cities Climate Challenge. Along with local partners, the cities have made significant strides in adopting climate-friendly transportation policies to encourage people to bike, walk, or use public transit instead of driving.

Cities are the natural leaders as they oversee land use, including the location of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, and local infrastructure, like streets and sidewalks, and may also provide transit service. But cities cannot tackle the climate crisis alone. The federal government has the tools to support bottom-up climate action and bring solutions to the national scale.

Here are two ways the federal government can help cities accelerate reductions in transportation emissions. In a future installment, I’ll discuss how the federal government can empower more local climate action.

1. Level up federal transit funding to match federal highway funding.

Bus Lanes. Photo by Caroline Yang for NRDC.

One of the most effective ways of reducing emissions is increasing transit use so that more people can get to jobs, schools, health care, and other places without driving. Many of the Climate Challenge cities have taken bold steps. St. Petersburg, Florida, is building the first bus rapid transit (BRT) line in the Tampa Bay Area, which will provide service between downtown and the beach. Charlotte, North Carolina, plans to build a 26-mile Silver Line that links the airport to the region’s light rail system, connecting communities of color to Charlotte’s uptown, thousands of jobs, and many other essential destinations. San Antonio voters passed a ballot measure in 2020 to dedicate a portion of an existing sales tax to expanding transit. Likewise, Cincinnati voters replaced a portion of the city’s earnings tax with a 0.8% increase to the county’s sales tax to fund the Southern Ohio Regional Transit Agency (SORTA) and infrastructure projects. The success of these and other ballot measures demonstrate the growing demand across the country for clean transportation options.

But cities are still limited in what they can deliver, due to the overall low level of funding. They’re forced to build out transit systems at a snail’s pace, one line at a time, with cobbled-together funds, meaning it can take decades to deliver the transit network that residents want. The federal transportation program has exacerbated this problem: For every $4 spent on roads and highways, just $1 has been spent on transit. It’s time for the federal program to level up investments in transit to match highways. That way, cities can realize transit projects and reap the benefits of greener transportation that much sooner.

2. Fund the transition to electric vehicles.

Increasing the use of zero-emission vehicles is one of the most effective tools for cutting emissions. Several cities, including St. Louis, Chicago, Boston, and Indianapolis, have adopted  or are exploring EV readiness ordinances to ensure that new homes and buildings are prepared for an EV future.

Orlando, Florida, installed 100 electric chargers, pivoted its municipal light-duty fleet to EVs, and attracted federal funding for 140 EV buses. The city’s utility also hired an EV specialist to oversee incentives for EV adoption programs.

Philadelphia introduced 25 electric buses and is working on a clean fleet plan, while Pittsburgh debuted its first two electric buses and partnered with its electric utility to install two chargers. Charlotte added its first five battery electric buses at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, which will result in an annual decrease of about 50,000 gallons of diesel fuel, saving an estimated $90,000 each year. Los Angeles is in the process of adding 155 electric buses to its fleet.

Though cities are transitioning to electrification, it comes at a price. Purchasing an electric bus — not to mention installing the charging infrastructure — costs more than a diesel bus. Although these upfront costs are recouped over time through lower operating expenses, they can be a burden for strapped local governments. The only federal grant program focused on low- and no-emission bus purchases represents less than half of one percent of the federal transportation program. To accelerate fleet conversions, a significant increase in federal grants for EVs and charging infrastructure is needed, such as the $174 billion proposed by the Biden administration in the American Jobs Plan.

Image by Electrify America.

The Time Is Now

The U.S. Senate just passed a major Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, and pivoted to an even bigger budget reconciliation package. There is a lot of work to do over the next month, especially with current transportation law expiring on September 30th. These bills should be a one-two punch that helps knock the funding shortfalls in transit and electrification and give cities the tools they need to make immediate and lasting progress in reducing transportation emissions.

 

 
 

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Environment

Rad Power gives RadRover 6 Plus e-bike an extra battery at $1,399, Exclusive renewed Anker SOLIX F3800 at $1,999, EcoFlow, more

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45 mins ago

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April 10, 2025

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Rad Power gives RadRover 6 Plus e-bike an extra battery at ,399, Exclusive renewed Anker SOLIX F3800 at ,999, EcoFlow, more

Headlining today’s Green Deals is Rad Power’s newly launched Earth Day Sale with up to $699 in savings on a solid lineup of e-bikes, including returning accessory bundles on its latest models. One notable – and popular – standout is the brand’s RadRover 6 Plus Step-Thru Fat Tire e-bike that comes along with an extra battery for double the travel time at $1,399. We’ve also secured an exclusive $680 off deal on the refurbished Anker SOLIX F3800 Portable Power Station that is down at $1,999. Lastly, we’ve got the latest flash offers from EcoFlow’s ongoing Easter Sale and Mega Sale for the rest of the day, which include a bundle for the DELTA 2 Portable Power Station with a waterproof bag for $449, as well as two DELTA Pro Ultra Extra Batteries down at $4,599. Plus, all the other hangover Green Deals are in the links at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s new low price on the Heybike ALPHA e-bike, and more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

Rad Power is launching an Earth Day Sale through April 23 with up to $699 in savings on a selection of e-bikes, including the ongoing RadRunner lows we’ve been seeing repeat over the last few events since February. The headliner for this sale though is the popular bundle of the RadRover 6 Plus Step-Thru Fat Tire e-bike with an extra battery for $1,399 shipped. The e-bike on its own would normally cost you $1,599 without the $200 price cut here, only beaten out by the $1,299 rate from September and the $1,199 low we saw at the top of 2025, though these did not offer the extra battery valued at $499. Despite being the third-lowest price we have tracked overall, this is the largest amount of savings we have seen on this model bundled with the battery. Be sure to add both to your cart for the automatic discount to be applied.

I’ve been hopping aboard my parent’s RadRover 6 Plus e-bike during visits and it’s not hard to see why it’s so popular among riders with its durability and lineup of features, which can be elevated further with additional add-on gear, which my parents went all-out on. Without all those extra bells and whistles, it starts with a 750W brushless geared hub motor that is powered by the semi-integrated 672Wh battery to reach top speeds of 20 MPH while carrying you up to 45+ miles when its five levels of PAS are activated – which is doubled to 90+ miles with the extra battery. If you’re going a shorter distance and not in the mood to do any pedaling, there is the option to ride on pure electric power with the throttle, though keep in mind this cuts down its mileage.

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It’s a solid option for folks who enjoy on-street and off-road treks alike, as the fat Kenda Juggernaut puncture-resistant tires stand up well to swampy terrain during my visits while the electrical system is protected thanks to the water-resistant connectors. You’ll also get it arriving stocked with a Shimano 7-speed derailleur, hydraulic brakes, fenders above both tires, an LED headlight and taillight with brake lighting (and auto-on functions for both), and a LCD display.

Rad Power’s other Earth Day e-bike discounts:

Rad Power’s ongoing low prices (while supplies last):

Rad Power accessory bundles on newest e-bikes:

  • RadExpand 5 Plus Folding e-bike: $1,899
    • 20 MPH for up to 60+ miles
    • comes with any accessory under $200
    • discounts applied when added to cart
  • Radster Road Commuter e-bike: $2,199
    • 28 MPH for up to 65+ miles
    • comes with any accessory under $200
    • discounts applied when added to cart
  • Radster Trail Off-Road e-bike: $2,199
    • 28 MPH for up to 65+ miles
    • comes with any accessory under $200
    • discounts applied when added to cart
  • RadWagon 5 Cargo e-bike: $2,399
    • 28 MPH for up to 60+ miles
    • comes with any accessory under $200
    • discounts applied when added to cart
Anker SOLIX F3800 Portable Power Station

Score an exclusive $680 in savings on a refurbished and expandable Anker SOLIX F3800 power station at $1,999

We’ve secured an exclusive deal for our readers at Wellbots on a refurbished Anker SOLIX F3800 Portable Power Station for $1,999 shipped, after using the code 9TO5RB300 at checkout. This renewed unit is getting brought down from its $2,679 price tag to $2,299 with the initial discount, which drops even lower thanks to our exclusive $300 in additional savings. It’s a solid option for those who want to save a bit more, as a new model normally goes for $3,999 at full price and is currently discounted to $2,599 right now, giving you $600 more in savings ($680 in all) while providing you with the brand’s expandable setup that you can invest more into down the road.

Coming with a two-year warranty, this refurbished Anker SOLIX F3800 station is a well-rounded option to cover camping, tailgating, home backup emergencies, and more. It starts at a 3,840Wh LiFePO4 capacity that can be further scaled up to 26.9kWh with its appropriate expansion batteries. It boasts 15+ port options to cover a variety of needs – including RV and EV power too thanks to the included L14-30R and NEMA 14-50 ports – with a steady output of 6,000W that can surge up to 9,000W.

You can recharge its own battery through an AC wall outlet, or connect up to its maximum 2,400W of solar input, which can refill the battery to 80% in 1.5 hours with ideal conditions. This refurbished model comes rated for 3,000 life cycles when charging up to 80% of its battery, giving you over 8 years of a lifespan were you to do so every single day. With the addition of EcoFlow’s home backup kit this station can cover sectional support for your home’s circuit breaker, or you could expand that to whole-home coverage with connections to roof panels when utilizing the home power panel instead.

– Units are Grade A Refurbished by Anker (Like new condition)
– 2 year warranty applies
– 30 day return policy

EcoFlow DELTA 2 Portable Power Station

EcoFlow flash sale offers DELTA 2 1,024Wh LiFePO4 power station with waterproof bag at $449, more

Running through the rest of the day as part of its ongoing Easter Sale and Mega Sale, EcoFlow has launched the third round of flash sale deals, with the first being the DELTA 2 Portable Power Station bundled with a waterproof bag for $449 shipped. Normally going for $999 outside of these sales, we have seen this power station on its own as low as $399 once before today, but you’re now getting it at $449 with the waterproof bag included to deliver one of the best values we have ever tracked. You’ll also find it matching in price over at Amazon, as well.

Perfect for those upcoming outdoor adventures, the EcoFlow DELTA 2 is an expandable unit that starts with a 1,024Wh LiFePO4 capacity and can go as high as 3,074Wh with the addition of expansion batteries. Its 15 port options cover your devices and appliances with a steady output up to 1,800W, which can surge up to 2,200W with the built-in X-Boost tech that also reduces its recharging times. Within 50 minutes of plugging it into a wall outlet you can have it back to an 80% battery while a full battery takes a little longer at 80 minutes. There’s also the option to connect up to its maximum 500W solar input to take advantage of the sun’s rays to refill its battery in as little as three hours. It also comes rated for 3,000 life cycles up to 80% of its capacity, meaning you could recharge it every day to that amount for over eight years.

The second offer during this flash sale is perfect for those with an existing DELTA Pro Ultra power station and are looking to expand, as you can grab two DELTA Pro Ultra Extra Batteries for $4,599 shipped. Considering that they are currently discounted to $2,499 each right now (down from $3,299 each), you’ll be saving an additional $399 here with the sales pricing and $1,999 off their regular pricing. By adding them to your existing setup, you’ll tack on an additional 12.2kWh capacity for even longer backup power support.

Be sure to check out the full (and differing) lineup of deals from EcoFlow’s ongoing Easter Sale and Mega Sale that are taking up to 65% off power stations through April 14.

Best New Year EV deals!

Best new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.

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Environment

Pennsylvania dairy farm powers its new electric tractor with biogas

Published

55 mins ago

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April 10, 2025

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Pennsylvania dairy farm powers its new electric tractor with biogas

Farm Generates Biogas to Power Volvo Electric Compact Loader

An 800-head dairy farm in central Pennsylvania is the first in the United States to create a truly circular energy cycle by using recovered biogas to generate the electricity needed to charge the electric wheel loader that pushes feed to its cattle.

Molly Pitcher Dairy in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, uses a Volvo L120 electric wheel loader to feed its 800 head of dairy cattle each daily — and they’re showing other corporate farms that it’s possible to be more productive and more sustainable.

They’re accomplishing this first by deploying quiet, zero-emissions equipment assets that are better for both the health and safety of the farm’s employees and cattle, and second by powering those assets with electricity generated by methane-rich biogas that would otherwise be burned off or vented into the atmosphere.

The dairy uses a 1.5-million-gallon “anerobic digester” to recycles solid and liquid waste generated by the farm’s hundreds of cows (read: poop), producing energy-rich biogas that is used to generate electricity. Molly Pitcher Dairy actually generates enough electricity to power the farm, charge its wheel loader, and have enough left over to sell electrons back to their local grid.

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As for the Volvo L120 Electric wheel loader itself, the machine offers a 6-ton lifting capacity and quiet, precise, vibration-free operation, making it a valuable asset on job sites from construction sites to ports and logistic centers, and on through to waste management and recycling.

Volvo’s L120 Electric delivers between 5-9 hours of continuous on a single charge, depending on the workload. While that’s enough for a typical shift, when the Volvo does need to power up, it can charge from 10-100% in one hour 40 minutes with a 180 kW DC fast charger, or overnight with the same standard L2 (220/240V) outlet that any proper farm already has a welder plugged into.

“This dairy runs 24/7, so the more electric that I can use, the better it is for us economically and for the environment. That is why I was interested in this new electric loader from Volvo,” says the farm’s owner, Keith Jones — but the most important customer feedback at Molly Pitcher Dairy came from the herd. Says Jones, “It took the cows a few passes with the loader to realize it was feeding time because they didn’t hear it driving down the barn aisles. It’s very quiet, and for the cows, that is very nice.”

Molly Pitcher Dairy is one of seven cattle farms across three states owned by the Jones brothers as part of a family business that also includes cattle harvesting and commercial trucking operations.

Electrek’s Take

We’ve written about the greenwashing of poop collecting before, but while experts on one end argue that the LCFS in particular awards credits to farmers at a much higher magnitude than the cost to operate and maintain a methane digester and experts on the other side argue that biomethane still creates burned emission the same way fossil fuels do, the fact remains that the carbon cost of burning biogas is net less than the conventional cost of burning fuel fossil fuels, if only because of the reduced carbon costs typically associated with their refining and transportation (the fact that the biowaste is generated regardless and otherwise wasted should also be considered, but needn’t be in order to realize an immediate “common sense” benefit here).

Don’t get me wrong, there are certainly better ways to power an EV — including wind and solar — but are there much better uses for hundreds of tons of cow poop? You guys are smart. Head down the comments and tell me what they are.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Volvo CE.

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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.

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Cracks are forming in Elon Musk’s armor of lies

Published

2 hours ago

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April 10, 2025

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Cracks are forming in Elon Musk's armor of lies

Tesla OpenAi XAI Elon Musk crack in armor of lies

As Elon Musk moves to dismiss a lawsuit from Tesla shareholders claiming he failed his fiduciary duties, OpenAI is now suing Musk and exposing lies, which could help Tesla shareholders.

It looks like cracks are forming in Elon Musk’s armor of lies.

Last year, Tesla investors sued Musk for breach of fiduciary duty and resource tunneling over the founding of xAI, a private AI company under his control.

Musk had previously stated that Tesla would be a major player in AI and that AI products would be critical to Tesla’s future, but in early 2024, the CEO threatened not to build AI products at Tesla if he didn’t get more control over the company by getting more shares.

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He also redirected NVIDIA AI hardware acquired by Tesla to xAI and hired Tesla employees to work at xAI.

In short, Tesla shareholders argue that Musk is in breach of his fiduciary duties to shareholders by creating a private company that competes directly with Tesla. The lawsuit also cites similar issues with Musk’s acquisition of Twitter.

This week, Musk and Tesla board members, who are also defendants in the lawsuit for not stopping Musk, have filed to try to dismiss the lawsuit (via Bloomberg):

The shareholder suit by a group of pension funds and other investors “is long on hyperbole but woefully short on well-pled facts,” the board members said in a court filing Monday. “Yet they cannot escape the undeniable reality: Tesla has thrived under this board and CEO, delivering astronomical returns to stockholders while advancing its mission to create sustainable abundance for all.”

It will likely take a while before the lawsuit moves through the court, but in the meantime, Tesla shareholders have found a strong ally: OpenAI.

Musk has long been tormenting OpenAI with lawsuits. Tesla’s CEO co-founded OpenAI as a non-profit in 2015 to develop an artificial general intelligence that positively contributes to humanity.

In early 2018, Musk resigned from OpenAI, citing “conflicts of interest with Tesla.”

At that time, Tesla’s CEO started pushing the automaker increasingly toward self-driving, which he often described as “real-world AI,” and the automaker began to compete for AI talent with OpenAI.

While he was seemingly on good terms with OpenAI after his departure, a few years later, he started publicly criticizing the organization for moving to a limited for-profit model, which they argued was necessary due to the billions of dollars required to build the compute training hardware to have an impact in the AI sector.

Musk even sued the company over the move and repeatedly publicly mocked them.

It hasn’t been clear how serious the legal actions have been since Musk even claimed that he would drop the lawsuit if OpenAI changed its name:

OpenAI has been defending itself with the release of some emails that show Musk actually agreed for years that the organization needed to move to a for-profit model.

Now, OpenAI has countersued Musk and released more details that show Musk has been misleading the public for years.

It also explains his latest moves at Tesla and xAI.

Musk’s AI effort went from OpenAI to Tesla to xAI

All the documents released by OpenAI as part of the countersuit paint a much clearer picture of Musk’s involvement with AI and how it evolved over the years.

I’ll start with a clear timeline to make it easier to understand.

  • 2010s: Musk has long been fascinated with AI and emerged as one of the most prominent tech voices warning about its dangers.
  • 2015: Musk co-founds OpenAI as a non-profit to try to create a safe AGI.
  • 2017: Musk privately communicates to many people in OpenAI and the AI community that the company needs to switch to a for-profit model and raise billions to be successful due to the cost of AI hardware.
  • 2018: Musk attempted to get control of OpenAI and merge it with Tesla, but this was rejected by OpenAI’s board, which ultimately took investments from Microsoft to start its for-profit arm, as it gave the organization more independence.
  • 2018: Musk leaves OpenAI, citing a conflict of interest with Tesla.
  • 2018-2022: Musk positions Tesla as “the world’s leader in AI”, hires a ton of AI talent, and claims Tesla will “play an important role in AGI”.
  • 2022: Musk sells tens of billions of dollars worth of Tesla stocks, partly to buy an overpriced Twitter.
  • 2023: Shortly after the viral launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Musk creates a new private company, xAI, to develop AI products and compete with OpenAI.
  • 2024: A judge rescinds Musk’s $55 billion Tesla CEO compensation package, which would have increased his stake in Tesla back to where it was before he bought Twitter.
  • 2024: Musk threatens Tesla shareholders that he will not build AI products at Tesla unless he gets more control (aka more shares).
  • 2024: Musk hires Tesla employees for xAI and redirects shipments of AI training compute from Tesla to xAI.
  • 2024: Musk sues OpenAI to try to block its transition into a capped for-profit business.

OpenAI has all the receipts to prove this. I recommend reading all the emails because they give great insights into Musk’s persona and how he presents himself publicly versus what he says privately.

Here are some of the highlights to prove the timeline above:

Early on in the founding of OpenAI in 2015, it was proposed to be a non-profit linked to Y Combinator, Sam Altman’s company at the time, and Musk was already suggesting to make it a regular C corp:

OpenAI shared many internal emails and text messages between the teams, Musk, and Musk’s executive assistant/future baby mama, Shivon Zilis, discussing the need for much more capital, which will require a move to for-profit.

In 2017, as OpenAI was first configuring a potential for-profit arm, Musk tried to take control by asking for preferred shares and a supermajority:

Musk even filed for a new benefit corporation, a for-profit legal structure that aims to generate profits while positively impacting society and/or the environment.

Musk’s full-time money manager, Jared Birchall, is listed as the sole director of the new corporation.

OpenAI rejected Musk’s proposal as it would have given him complete control, but they insisted they still wanted to work with him.

In early 2018, Musk switched up his proposal to try to get OpenAI attached to Tesla:

This proposal also failed, as OpenAI felt this was also an attempt from Musk to gain complete control.

Musk then left OpenAI and focused his AI efforts on Tesla until he significantly reduced his stake in the company to buy Twitter on a whim.

Then, he founded xAI to become his main AI effort as a private company under his control while telling Tesla shareholders that the company was an “AI and robotics play.”

xAI recently absorbed X (Twitter), resulting in a $125 billion company based on Musk’s made-up valuation.

Electrek’s Take

This is extremely revealing. It clearly shows that Musk’s main goal is to have complete control over AI.

He tried to get control of OpenAI, but couldn’t make it work. He then tried to make it work with Tesla, but he screwed up by giving up some control (I’d argue he still has a firm hold on the public company) through the acquisition of Twitter.

He panicked after OpenAI launched ChatGPT and started xAI as a private company entirely under his control, devaluing Tesla in the process – hence the current shareholders’ lawsuit.

For years, Musk attacked OpenAI and lied to the public about disagreeing with the for-profit transition, when he was actually pushing for it since the very beginning. The only difference is that OpenAI was now a competitor to Tesla, and then xAI.

I want to be clear here. OpenAI is not completely clean, either. It obviously owes Musk something for the company’s original funding, but the emails also reveal that the organization tried to give him shares and pay him back, but Musk refused.

His refusal is likely linked to his believing that he could do more damage by suing OpenAI.

It looks like Musk believes that he is some sort of super genius who deserves to be the one in control of a potential future AGI, and he was willing to lie and cheat his way into making it happen.

Even if his intentions are good, that’s a scary thought.

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