My husband and I recently purchased a Chevy Volt. We're enthusiastic about driving an electric vehicle. At the time we bought the car, we expected that Boulder, with its green energy and transportation policies, would be supportive of this choice. And we thought it was a good sign that Congressman Jared Polis had worked to secure a $500,000 grant from the Department of Energy to establishment 30 charging stations in the city.
Knowing now that there are currently only two charging stations available to the public in the city of Boulder, I recently asked both the city and the Congressman's office to explain why the infrastructure for electric vehicles is so thin. Their reports left me unsatisfied.
The upshot is that with 2010 grant money, ostensibly for the purpose of supporting people in the use of electric vehicles, we might have five electric charging stations available for public use (all at Rec Centers, none in a municipal parking lot) by the end of 2012. There might possibly be 10 more if private businesses deign to participate in a rebate program.
Further disappointing, the city's report seems to indicate only weak commitment to pursuing further work on this program at all for concern that the current state of technology will soon be outmoded -- not that funding to meet any new technological standards is on the horizon at all. What is a citizen to do?
Sure, I was impressed that the congressman was committed enough to clean energy transportation that he would work to secure this grant. It made for a great headline. And I am thrilled that the city employs people actively following the policy, knowing where the grant programs are and aware of the state of electric vehicle battery technology.
But you know, none of this helps with the current need to charge these vehicles, to bring along a fledgling market and to show the rest of the country that providing the public infrastructure to support gas-independence is a relatively simple thing. And come on. This is obviously work that the public sector needs to take on -- not shunt off to a grant program for local businesses.
I hope that my letter will inspire the congressman and the city to come together to actually get something accomplished here.
