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Page A-12 — Shelton-Mason County Journal — Thursday, Oct. 21,
Hoodsport considers hosting electric vehicle stations
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Port of Hoodsport commissioners
heard about the transportation
electrification movement when Tonia
Buell of the state Department of
Transportation gave a briefing on grant
money for installing electric vehicle
charging stations.
Buell, who addressed the port
during the commissioners’ Oct. 13
meeting on Zoom, said the Electrify
America organization was created as a
result of the Volkswagen Clean Air Act
Civil Settlement of Buell said
billion is going to Electrify America, with
$800 million required to be invested in
California, with the remaining $1.2
billion for the remainder of the nation.
The money is for installing charging
infrastructure, “mostly along highway
corridors,” according to Buell, with a
minimum of four direct current fast~
charging stations per location. '
Buell said DOT has applied for Pacific
Northwest infrastructure investments
on the grounds that “it’s smart to invest
in our state, as one of the top three
states in the nation for-electric vehicle
adoption.” State agencies including
DOT and the departments of Ecology
and Commerce work with private
companies and the federal government
to ensure they’re working “in synergy,
and not duplicating our efforts.”
Those efforts include progress
toward a zero-emission vehicle mapping
and forecasting tool so utilities and
.0
ports can determine how much electric
vehicle infrastructure is needed in
their areas. _
California and Oregon have made
progress toward installing electric
vehicle charging stations every 50
miles along US. Highway 101, which
Buell aims to see continued through
Washington along Interstates 5 and 90.
DOT has sought funding “for a
while,” turning to agencies such as the
Federal Highway Administration, and
has seen the installation of Electrified
America charging stations in Olympia
and Port Angeles, Buell said. She
acknowledged the 119 miles separating
the two cities.
“From Electrified America’s
perspective, that’s close enough,” Buell
said, “but from the state’s perspective,
we want to see a lot more than that.”
Buell outlined the grants available
to government agencies and nonprofits
that join with the private, sector
to install electric, vehicle charging
infrastructure, including DC fast—
charging stations. Priority will be given
to locations “where people are gOing to
want to stop,” with onsite or nearby
amenities ranging from restrooms to
beverages. ’
“It’s an economic development
opportunity, to get people to stop in
your community as they’re traveling
around the Olympic Peninsula,” Buell
said.
Charging stations also need to meet
technical specifications such as three-
phase power supplies, and safe and
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easy access on and off the station site.
Buell said fast-charging stations can
refuel electric vehicles to, 80% in 30 to
45 minutes.
“The stations we’ll support, and
provide matching funds for, are fast-
chargers where you can pull over,
charge up and get back on the road,”
Buell said. “It seems like Hoodsport
would be a good location for that,
depending on your community’s
interest and potential host sites.”
According to Buell, DOT has about $8
million for highway corridor charging,
and its goal is not so much to fund
individual sites as to find partners who
can help them electrify their portions of
highway corridors, with US. Highway
101 identified as “a priority corridOr.”
“The portion of 101 where Hoodsport
is?” Buell said. “That’s an area we’re
very interested in.”
Buell estimated that DC fast-
chargers run about $100,000 apiece,
with a minimum of four per location.
“In our last round of grants, (DOT)
only had $1 million, but with public-
private partnerships we were able to
get $1.5 million in matching funds, for a
total of $2.5 million, for 15 communities
to get charging stations,” Buell said.
“The state Legislature provided this
funding to incentivize the private sector
to make these investments.”
Port Commissioner Terry Brazil
asked about stations’ standardized
charging requirements and Buell said
three major standards exist, with the
first two —— CHAdeMO for Japanese
automakers and the Combined
Charging System or “combo” for
American and European automakers
— approved through the Society
of Automotive Engineers, or SAE
International. The third is carmaker
Tesla’s proprietary system, for which
Tesla owners are supplied adapters for
their chargers to connect to CHAdeMO.
“The original West Coast electric
highway was installed in with
50—kilowatt CHAdeMO chargers,
because that was all there was back
then,” Buell said. “The industry
standard is moving to higher power
charging stations of up to 350 kilowatts.
Those cost a lot more. You can charge
your car faster, but you need more
power. As it stands, there isn’t enough
charging out there for the pent-up
demand to come.”
Buell recommended that the Port
of Hoodsport and other communities
interested in electric vehicle charging
stations put together proposals and
assemble prospective partners now
so that when funding opportunities
appear, perhaps as early as next year,
they’re ready.
Port Commissioner Lori Kincannon
pointed out that, “as a very small port,
our businesses would in no way be able
to come up with those matching funds,”
so she‘ asked whether Buell could
supply a list of organizations that could
contribute matching money. “We’re
definitely interested,” Kincannon said.
“Hoodsport is a great place to put this,
but we have very limited budgets.”
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