When Are Enough Gas Stations Enough In A US City?
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What does it take for a city to really bear down on climate goals of carbon neutrality by 2050? There are lots of balls for a city to juggle in the climate action toolbox, but reducing and eventually eliminating gas stations within city borders is a key element.
And that’s just what Providence, Rhode Island, is considering. Members of the Providence City Council are pushing for legislation that would ban the construction of new gas stations in the city. The proposed ban, spearheaded by Councilman John Goncalves and supported by council leadership, was added as an amendment Wednesday night to the city’s comprehensive plan, a guiding document for urban planning and land use that is updated once every 10 years.
“It’s important that we’re leading the way in reducing some of our carbon emissions and promoting a cleaner, greener energy future,” Goncalves told the Boston Globe. “I think Providence can take the lead here.” There are about 40 gas stations currently in operation in Providence.
The language of the amendment includes targets to “prohibit the development of new gas stations within city limits, while prioritizing the development and installation of [electric vehicle] charging stations across Providence.” This is an updated version of a previous draft that was seen as too weak due to its goals only to “discourage” future gas stations.
The city’s current goal is for municipal buildings and vehicles to be carbon neutral by 2040, with the entire city hitting that goal by 2050. In addition to climate goals, Goncalves said new gas stations should be prohibited so that available land can be used for housing. The council previously banned new self-storage facilities for a similar reason.
The first city to ban new gas stations was Petaluma, California, in 2021, according to the Los Angeles Times. Several others in California are part of the movement that is still small but growing among city-oriented climate advocates.
Experts concur that, for cities to deliver on large renewable projects, efforts need to be intensified, barriers need to be lifted, and multi-governance approaches must be operationalized. Achieving net-zero ultimately needs to be translated into actions at city level. While accounting for less than 2% of the Earth’s surface, cities consume 78% of the world’s energy and produce more than 60% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The Providence proposal would not close any existing gas stations, and business owners would be able to transfer gas station ownership to new owners, according to council staff. But new gas stations would be prohibited once the comprehensive plan is formalized in city zoning ordinance, which is expected to happen after the comprehensive plan — essentially a vision document — is passed.
If the new gas station ban is approved, Providence’s last newly constructed gas station would be the Neon Marketplace on Kinsley Avenue, which opened in 2022.
Spokesperson Josh Estrella noted the new comprehensive plan is the “result of two years of meaningful community engagement and over 80 public meetings in every neighborhood,” which were attended by city councilors. “Amendments passed at the eleventh hour disrespect the thoughtful and diligent process we went through to develop this plan with our community,” Estrella said. “The mayor will review and evaluate this amendment and every amendment introduced today with that same diligence.”
Eliminating New Gas Stations, Refocusing on EV Charging Stations
In 2023 Governor Dan McKee, state officials, and environmental champion legislators announced that Rhode Island will join seven states, including Massachusetts, in adopting a policy aimed at reining in carbon pollution by slashing tailpipe emissions from cars, trucks, and SUVs. With transportation causing around 40% of the state’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the Act on Climate mandating that the Rhode Island achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050, the regulations would require that manufacturers will deliver cleaner vehicles to Rhode Island consumers.
“The Act on Climate put us on the clock for meeting major carbon reduction mandates, and it’s clear to me that Rhode Island will only meet the mandates by addressing the transportation sector head-on,” said Governor McKee. “Implementing the Advanced Clean Cars II and Advanced Clean Trucks policy will help us do exactly that, minimize smog across the state but especially in environmental justice communities, and ensure adequate customer choice on electric vehicles in the future.”
Instead of building new gas stations, many cities are investigating ways to appropriately locate electric vehicle charging stations in areas with an expanding charging infrastructure, which is crucial to the accessibility and future success of EVs. In fact, suitable planning and deployment for EV fast charging stations is one of the most critical determinants for large-scale EV adoption. Installing charging stations in existing fuel/gas stations in the city may be an effective way to persuade people to adopt EVs, especially within the context that EVs need comparatively prolonged charging times than refueling internal compaction engine vehicles (ICEVs).
Yet EV fast charging technology is transforming speedily, and with that evolution comes essential deployment of optimal charging infrastructure as a means for promoting EVs.
Research indicates that over 90% of vehicle-owning US households would see reductions in both GHGs and transportation energy burden by adopting an EV. For 60% of households, these savings would be moderate to high (i.e., >2.3 metric tons of CO2e reduction per household annually and >0.6% of energy burden reduction). These reductions are especially pronounced in the American West (e.g., California, Washington) and parts of the Northeast (e.g., New York) primarily due to a varying combination of cleaner electricity grids, lower electricity prices (relative to gas prices), and smaller drive-cycle and temperature-related impacts on fuel efficiency.
Moreover, adopting an EV would more than double the percentage of households that enjoy a low transportation energy burden (<2% of income spent on fuel annually). This equates to 80% of all vehicle-owning US households.
Final Thoughts about a Providence City Ban on Gas Stations
The Providence City Council is in the final weeks of vetting the overall comprehensive plan before it becomes official and has proposed several other amendments Wednesday. The council opted not to eliminate parking minimums — which require housing developments include a certain number of parking spots — citywide, a demand from some public transit advocates.
A final hearing for the public to testify before the Ordinance Committee is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. next Wednesday at City Hall.
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