CTS Webinar: EV Infrastructure and Fuel Policy—Understanding the Transportation and Economic Impacts

About the Webinar

Transportation policy and energy markets are evolving rapidly as states explore strategies to reduce emissions and support new fuel technologies. This webinar examined two current policy areas shaping transportation systems: electric vehicle infrastructure development and low-carbon fuel standards.

Beth Kallestad from MnDOT’s Office of Sustainability and Public Health provided an overview of Minnesota’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program. Her presentation discussed how the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and NEVI funding have shaped the development of EV infrastructure in Minnesota, the program's current status, and what to expect in the next phase of implementation.

Monica Haynes and Neil Wilmot from the University of Minnesota Duluth highlighted a 2025 study that examined the relationship between low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) programs and gasoline prices. They explored how LCFS programs in other states have affected retail fuel costs and discuss the challenges of predicting the economic impacts of a potential LCFS program in Minnesota.

The event was held in conjunction with a CTS Transportation Planning and the Economy Council meeting.

Watch the recording

Speakers

Beth Kallestad is the sustainable transportation planning director with MnDOT's Office of Sustainability and Public Health. She has a wide range of experience in the environmental field, including in the private, government, academic, and nonprofit sectors.  This experience has given her a strong background in the management and implementation of a variety of sustainability planning efforts, public and stakeholder engagement, effective communications, trust building, and collaboration. Beth joined MnDOT in June 2022 and has focused her work on the development and implementation of the EV infrastructure program with federal NEVI funding and supporting MnDOT’s internal fleet transition. 

Monica Haynes has served as the director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Minnesota Duluth since 2014, supervising a small team of student researchers and a writer/editor. During her time in this role, the department has completed more than 90 funded research projects on a wide range of topics related to current events, proposed development opportunities, and economic trends. She also serves as adjunct faculty in the Labovitz School of Business and Economics (LSBE), as chair of LSBE’s outreach committee, and on the Duluth Workforce Development Board. 

Neil A. Wilmot is an associate professor and head of the Department of Economics and Health Care Management, Labovitz School of Business and Economics, at the University of Minnesota Duluth. He is also an associate of the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota. Wilmot's research interests include energy economics and energy commodities, encompassing a wide range of topics including oil and gas markets, renewable energy integration, and energy pricing mechanisms. He has published numerous articles in leading energy economics journals, including Energy Economics, Resource and Energy Economics, and The Energy Journal.