November 5, 2024

CEI awards Collaborative Seed Grants to boost AI data centers, EV charging infrastructure – Clean Energy Institute

Transportation is responsible for 39% of Washington’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Strategically expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure (EVCI) is crucial to support the electrification of this sector, as existing research consistently demonstrates a strong correlation between public EVCI availability and EV ownership at both national and municipal levels.

However, reports have revealed that EVCI planning often neglects the specific needs and challenges of historically underserved communities, especially tribal communities, while electrifying both work fleets and personal vehicles in these communities may have the greatest potential for impact. For instance, tribe members often face particularly significant commutes — a survey of Yakama Nation tribal employees showed an average daily commute of 44 miles — while tribal government officers undertake even more extensive driving, with a typical forestry employee covering as much as 200 miles per day. Reducing fuel costs and mitigating air and noise pollution provides further sustainability and resilience benefits.”

UW College of Built Environments faculty Lingzi Wu, Hyun Woo (Chris) Lee (construction management), and Dylan Stevenson (urban design + planning) will foster partnerships with the Northwest Tribal Technical Assistance Program Center (NW TTAP) and other interested tribes in Washington state to evaluate EVCI expansion needs and challenges, emphasizing environmental justice, transportation justice, and energy justice. The UW team will coordinate with tribal staff to tailor community engagement plans to each community’s needs, with the ultimate goal of co-creating a scalable, data-driven mapping tool to facilitate EVCI expansion in tribal areas.

Discover more about CM faculty research in energy and sustainability through the ESC Lab.