||| FROM SENATOR LIZ LOVELETT |||
I am writing to express my strong support for the Orcas Island EV Charging Project which was submitted by the Port of Orcas for grant financing from the Clean Energy Fund’s ETS program.
This Project will greatly accelerate EV adoption for one of our state’s larger remote rural islands. Orcas Island has no public transportation and is adversely impacted by worsening air quality and ocean acidification caused by internal combustion engine (ICE) emissions which increase dramatically during the summer tourist season.
I have been impressed by the Project’s strategic placement of about 30 level II charging stations around the island to ensure that all major residential areas have access to EV charging. The Project is forward-looking by installing a DC fast charging station at the airport to provide three-pronged support for: EV van deliveries of incoming airfreight, a planned EV shuttle system around the island, and short-haul battery-powered electric airplanes which are expected to become operational later this decade.
An important goal for this Project will be to increase transportation affordability. The high cost of gasoline and absence of public transportation severely limits the mobility of Orcas Island residents. Expanding EV infrastructure will accelerate the transition to EVs, and thereby, dramatically improve transportation affordability.
Increased affordability will be essential to service industry employees that live and work on Orcas Island. There is currently an extreme shortage of workers to staff the island’s schools, banks, and grocery stores, etc. due to the high cost of housing and
transportation on the island. A recent study commissioned by WSDOT emphasized the importance of affordability through greater EV transportation for low-income communities on Orcas Island.
Last, but not least, the expanded EV infrastructure under the Project will strengthen Island Rides-Orcas, the island’s only quasi-public transportation system. Island Rides-Orcas provides free EV transportation through volunteer drivers to islanders unable to drive for any reason. This service has expanded greatly since its launch in 2021 and is vital to the island’s low income, less mobile, and senior population. It can only continue to expand to meet the island’s needs if the Project succeeds in installing the planned charging stations in all the neighborhoods that Island Rides-Orcas services.
For the above reasons, I encourage Commerce to strongly consider approving the request for the Orcas Island EV Charging Project.
I’d rather see our tax dollars spent on fast-charging stations on the mainland — say in Anacortes, Mt. Vernon, and Bellingham — which would greatly increase the practical range of island EVs. We can charge our BMW I-3 easily overnight on a 120-volt outlet, but waiting over an hour to do so on the mainland is out of the question. Please use our precious tax dollars where they will do the most good for the most people.
Good news Michael – The state is investing in charging on BOTH the mainland AND rural areas like San Juan County. See the link below for more on that. The funding comes mainly from taxes on fossil-fueled sectors. Some quotes of note:
“Legislators this session approved a 16-year “Move Ahead Washington” transportation package unlike any other in the state’s history. It lays the foundation for a massive shift from simply building more lanes to moving people via cleaner, more efficient transportation options.”
“The largest share of Move Ahead Washington goes towards climate and clean transportation. The package includes funding for four new hybrid-electric ferries, tens of thousands of new EV charging stations, 25 transit electrification projects across the state, and free fares for passengers 18 and younger on all public transportation.”
“The policy also emphasizes equity. At least 35 percent of funds must go towards serving overburdened and marginalized communities.” This is a major focus of Island Rides mission. And equitable access to transportation is a key WA DOT transportation objective.
https://medium.com/wagovernor/years-in-the-making-one-climate-bill-is-allowing-legislators-to-boldly-reinvent-transportation-in-18e075b82ed8
Good! When we had our Nissan Leaf a few years ago, the only compatible fast-charging station in Bellingham was at the Nissan dealership there, and it was almost always out of order. The Leaf became an “island car” — hardly ever used on the mainland, except perhaps to go shopping in Burlington and Mt. Vernon