Earlier this week, Clean & Prosperous Institute (CPI) board member Paula Sardinas joined Washington State Department of Commerce Director Joe Nguyen to celebrate the opening of the first Climate Commitment Act (CCA)-funded electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging site.
“Clean & Prosperous Institute is proud to partner with local communities, innovators, and state leaders to launch the first of thousands of new, publicly-available fast-charging sites across Washington,” said Paula Sardinas, board member of the Clean & Prosperous Institute and founder of the Washington Build Back Black Alliance. “By working together, we can help accelerate access to clean transportation solutions that benefit working families, small businesses, and the environment.”
We collaborated with Electric Era, Skycharger, the Washington State Department of Commerce, and the City of Arlington on this new EV fast-charging station! Public-private partnerships like this one are critical to quickly and effectively siting new clean energy projects.
Fast-chargers like the one we debuted in Arlington are quick, reliable, and eliminate downtime for drivers. This is the first of 136 new CCA-funded EV fast-charging sites that will launch in the coming months. In total, the Legislature has invested $101 million in CCA funding to support the creation of more than 530 EV charging sites across Washington state.
Read more in the Washington State Department of Commerce’s press release, or listen to CPI board member Paula Sardinas discuss the importance of these sites in KNKX.
Study Mission Debrief: Visiting a Cutting-Edge Electric Bus Manufacturing Hall in Roeselare
CPI is excited to keep you updated on our Study Mission, which brought 40 Pacific Northwest climate ambassadors to the capital of the European Union, where we forged ahead on new subnational to international collaborations related to climate action and the clean energy transition.
On day two of our Study Mission, the delegation visited VDL Bus & Coach’s electric bus manufacturing hall in Roeselare! We toured their cutting-edge factory, which covers more than 20,000 square meters and allows them to efficiently manufacture hundreds of zero-emission, all-electric buses each year. The facility itself is also highly energy efficient, and features natural light, green roofs, and reuse of rainwater.
The VDL Group has a connection to our region, as well! They manufacture all-electric motorcoaches that local business (and delegation member) MTRWESTERN operates along I-5 as part of Amtrak service!
Here’s why this matters for Washington state: Electric buses are one of the fastest-growing electric vehicle markets in our region. From Walla Walla Public Schools, to recent purchases from Sound Transit, electric buses are growing – and reducing harmful diesel emissions – all across our state. Market trends show that – regardless of federal rollbacks – progress on fleet electrification will continue.
Thank you to our hosts VDL Bus & Coach for the excellent tour, and thank you to our sponsors for making the Study Mission 5.0: Brussels and Beyond possible.
Follow CPI on Social Media
Follow Clean & Prosperous Institute on social media to learn more about our Study Mission 5.0: Brussels and Beyond. You can find us on these channels:
- LinkedIn: @clean-prosperous-institute
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