Pacific Power Grants to Fund New Bend EV Charging Stations

Bend will get eight new electric vehicle charging stations thanks to a grant from Pacific Power.

Westside Yard – the mixed-use development under construction at the old Ray’s Food Place location – will get six ports while 7th Mountain Resort will receive two. The Bend additions are part of a grant program adding 27 ports in nine locations across the state.

Launched in late 2018, the electric charging station grant program has awarded over $700,000 to 25 recipients in Oregon. 

“We are thrilled by the high level of interest the electric vehicle charging station grant program has received,” said Cory Scott, director of customer solutions. “Charging stations are a key piece of infrastructure that is becoming increasingly in-demand as more people switch to electric-based vehicles. This is one of the many ways Pacific Power is helping make the transition to electric-powered vehicles easier with more charging options for commuters.”

Recent Grant Recipients:

  • City of Pendleton – Pendleton, Ore. (3 ports)
  • City of Myrtle Creek – Myrtle Creek, Ore. (2 ports)
  • Mt. Ashland Ski Area – Ashland, Ore. (2 ports)
  • Softstar Shoes – Philomath, Ore. ( 2 ports)
  • JAB, LLC – Medford, Ore. (8 ports)
  • Fort George Brewery – Astoria, Ore. (1 port)
  • 7th Mountain Resort – Bend, Ore. (2 ports)
  • Westside Yard – Bend, Ore. (6 ports)
  • CHI Hospitality – Grants Pass, Ore. (1 port)

Bend currently has 43 charging stations according to chargehub.com

Pacific Power is providing grant funding to help non-residential customers develop community-driven electric transportation infrastructure projects. This round of grant funding will award nearly $300,000 to Oregon-based workplace charging and publicly accessible charging station projects that advance transportation electrification.

Funding awards will cover up to 100 percent of the project cost. All non-residential Pacific Power customers in California, Oregon, and Washington are eligible to apply with preference given to community-focused organizations, such as 501(c)(3) and city, county and regional governments.

Applications will be accepted up to August 15, 2019 at 5:00 PM. Recipients will be announced October 2019.

In addition to the electric vehicle charging station grant program, Pacific Power also offers a free electric charging station technical assistance program. The program supports non-residential customers with evaluating charging station installation options and costs. The technical assistance program is available at no cost and includes a site visit, analysis of electric vehicle technology options, costs, rates, and best practices for siting, configuring, installing and managing equipment.

For detailed eligibility requirements, charging station project qualifications, additional technical assistance program details, application forms and more information about the benefits of electric vehicles, please visit www.pacificpower.net/ev.

Materials may be submitted to plugin@pacificpower.net.

 

The Great Outdoors: Solar Energy in South Central Oregon

Three hundred days of sunshine a year. That’s the promise and the premise of solar energy in South Central Oregon. In this week’s Great Outdoors, Gary Lewis takes us to Lake View, where a new solar farm is being built.

A special thanks to our Great Outdoors sponsor, Parr Lumber, for giving us the time and resources to explore the lakes, rivers and mountains across our beautiful state every Wednesday night on Central Oregon Daily.

Central Oregon a Hotbed for Solar Industry

The state of Oregon gained more than 15,000 jobs in the solar industry last year, a 50% increase from 2015, and Central Oregon is becoming a big part of that employment boom. In the past month, two new solar farms have started generating power on Bend’s northeast side and added more than 200 local construction jobs during the build-out.

Central Oregon Daily’s Brian Jennings looks at why our region is becoming such a hotbed for the solar industry.