Safety will preserve consumer access as the market turns to clean energy

OPINION:

An expanding market for clean energy is resulting in a rapid transition that requires us to think differently, but it can’t happen without safety at its core. Safety allows innovation to have its intended impact.

We have seen what happens when the unintended consequences of change get ahead of safety. Potential is replaced by restrictions and bans that slow or stop progress. It is the easiest — and arguably laziest — solution.

There is a better way forward. And standards can help get us there.

For example, the devastating lithium-ion e-bike battery fires initially prompted the New York City Housing Authority to propose a ban to e-bikes and scooters devices that will reduce emissions and power us toward a cleaner world.

The move would have cut off access to a means of transportation many of the city’s residents depend on, not only to get from point A to point B but to support the food and goods delivery economy.

Ultimately, the ban didn’t go forward. Instead, the city decided that all e-mobility devices sold, rented, or leased in New York City conform to a specific set of standards created by UL Standards & Engagement.

While New York City enacted a law, more commonly, standards are voluntary — which makes them easily adaptable and flexible in a changing world. These dynamic guidelines for how to make and test the safety of a product or system can be revisited as risk evolves and created as risks present themselves.

At UL Standards & Engagement, we are working to reinforce our 120-year legacy of advancing innovation — from our history in aviation and automobiles, to our future in automation and clean energy — through the development of voluntary safety standards.

Our standards are best-in-class, putting the U.S. at the forefront of standards development on the global stage, and critical to solving complex challenges the world faces.

It is our responsibility and privilege to put safety science into action. Our 1,700 standards are informed by more than 4,000 experts from manufacturers, government, nonprofits, academia, and more that currently advise and vote on standards.

We are channeling that expertise into new standards that will help chart the path for clean energy — one that allows innovation to flourish, preserves consumers’ access to the products they want, and grows trust in those that they need.

• UL Standards & Engagement is a nonprofit organization that translates safety science into action through standards development, partnerships and advocacy. Since 1903, we have developed nearly 1,700 standards and guidance documents for products ranging from fire doors to autonomous vehicles. ULSE enables innovation and grows trust by convening experts and informing policymakers and regulators as we work toward a safer, more secure and sustainable future. Visit ulse.org for more information.