• Chugiak: Three Bears Alaska, 22211 Birchwood Loop, Rd Chugiak, AK, 99567 • Cooper Landing: Grizzly Ridge, 18280 Sterling Hwy, Cooper Landing, AK 99572 • Healy: Three Bears Alaska, 248.5 Parks Hwy Healy, AK 99743 • Trapper Creek: Three Bears Alaska, 23471 S Parks Hwy, Trapper Creek, AK 99683
AEA was initially introduced into the realm of electric vehicles (EVs) when the agency was designated as the lead agency to administer the State of Alaska’s Volkswagen (VW) Environmental Mitigation Trust (Trust) in 2018.* Since then, AEA developed the Alaska Electric Vehicle Working Group (AKEVWG) and has adopted a mission to lead in reducing impediments to EV adoption.
The Trust funds 10 different types of mitigation actions designed to reduce NOx emissions and allows up to 15 percent of the state’s allocation to be used on the installation, operations and maintenance of EV charging infrastructure (EVSE). AEA developed a plan on how to allocate the Trust funds amongst the various eligible projects through a public process. About one third of the respondents supported allocating the maximum 15 percent towards EVSE, which is about $1.25 million.
AEA continued consultation with the utilities and local municipalities and further stakeholder involvement through the AKEVWG to identify how the funds could be used to the benefit of current EV owners as well as promote future EV adoption. Lack of EVSE, creating range anxiety, was identified as a significant impediment to EV adoption. Most daily activities require close range driving that can be provided for by charging at home or potentially “topping off” at level 2 charging sites at destinations such as workplaces, shopping centers, restaurants, etc. But long range driving requires charging at locations other than home, and most conveniently by direct current fast chargers, which can charge a battery to 80 percent in 20-45 minutes, rather than Level 2 chargers, which can require several hours.
To address the lack of EV charging infrastructure and range anxiety, AEA committed almost $900,000 of VW Trust funds, supplemented with $90,000 of State Energy Program (SEP) funds, and established partnerships with site hosts to develop an EV fast-charging corridor from the Kenai Peninsula to Healy, with the deployment of 15 fast chargers and eight Level 2 chargers at nine charging stations located less than 100 miles from adjacent sites. Fast charging stations will become operable starting in the fall of 2021, with the entire corridor operational by summer 2022. Once completed, this significant achievement will lessen range anxiety and open the state’s major transportation corridors to EV travel over significantly increased distances. AEA will disburse the remainder of the Trust funds allocated for EVSE in 2022 to develop additional fast charging stations along highway corridors and Level 2 stations within communities.
If you have questions about the EV Fast-Charging Network, please contact via email at electricvehicles@akenergyauthority.org.
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