Colorado State University has been awarded a $1.3 million joint grant from the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Transportation to support the resilience and equity of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the state.
The two-year effort will focus on developing the needed data-driven modeling, public engagement and coordinated planning to formulate a comprehensive EV charging infrastructure resilience plan.
A key part of that effort will be addressing how underserved communities will access the new infrastructure and the best ways to design it to ensure continued operation during natural disasters or other potential failures. The final document could ultimately inform planning by the Colorado Department of Transportation and other state agencies in collaboration with utility and commercial partners.
Work at CSU will be led by Woodward Professor of Systems Engineering Tom Bradley and assistant professor Erika Gallegos. Other key partner agencies in the project include the Colorado Energy Office, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Drive Clean Colorado, said Bradley.
“Consumers interested in EVs want to have reliable and equitable charging, and to get that we need a plan for building resilient and intelligently distributed EV infrastructure,” said Bradley, who also serves as the chair of the Systems Engineering Department at CSU. “We’re excited to work with our partners on the next big step toward our renewable energy transition.”
Colorado Department of Transportation Executive Director Shoshana Lew applauded the federal grant.
“It’s critical that our EV charging network not only be stout enough to weather natural disasters but also smart and fair enough to deliver services to our most underserved communities,” Lew said. “This money will help make sure those things happen.”
The grant is part of a larger $46.5 million effort aimed at holistically increasing the resiliency and equity of EV charging by the DOE and DOT. Administered through the agencies’ Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, the funds were made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress in 2023.
Bradley said the CSU team will prioritize stakeholder input in Colorado’s EV planning activities. The project will also produce a plan for the development of a skilled workforce, local infrastructure and support systems to stimulate community economic growth.
Other support for the project comes from Colorado State University’s Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering and Office of Engagement and Extension. Watch a video of CSU alumna Sara Emmons announcing the funding the through her role at the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation.
