A pilot program is bringing electric vehicle charging stations to Oregon State Parks, the state announced Tuesday.
Level 2 EV chargers are being installed in selected parks through a partnership between the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and Adopt a Charger, a nonprofit group that seeks sponsors to help cover the costs. The Oregon legislature passed a bill in 2021 allowing for installation of public EV charging stations at state parks.
“The agreement between OPRD and AAC allows fundraising and donations to cover the installation of the chargers and includes an option for the electricity costs to be sponsored by a donor for up to three years,” Oregon State Parks said in a statement.
The tentative list of the pilot project sites includes:
- L.L. Stub Stewart State Park
- Banks-Vernonia State Trail
- Rooster Rock State Park
- Silver Falls State Park
- The Cove Palisades State Park
- Prineville Reservoir State Park
- Cape Lookout State Park
- William M. Tugman State Park
As part of its charging network, electric vehicle maker Rivian is working with AAC to donate the infrastructure, including installation design, construction costs and the EV chargers themselves, the parks department said. Each Rivian charger can provide 25 miles of range per hour of charging. They are also compatible with every electric vehicle on the market today.
For a limited time, Entec Polymers has offered to sponsor the cost of the electricity as part of its partnership with AAC, the department said.
“Beyond helping reduce global and local pollution, including greenhouse gasses, state parks need to be accessible to everyone,” said Oregon Parks and Recreation Director Lisa Sumption said in a statement. “Looking ahead, electric vehicles will become more and more common, and rather than wait for someone else to fill all the charging gaps, we want to do our part.”
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