GCE/CLEER Part of Statewide Effort to Reduce Oil Dependence

GCE and CLEER are now part of a statewide effort to reduce dependence on oil through the adoption of electric vehicles. GCE/CLEER is a part of a statewide coalition of businesses, governments, and non-profits working on the effort, called “Fostering Electric Vehicle Expansion in the Rockies” or “Project FEVER,” which is being coordinated by the Denver Metro Clean Cities Coalition. The coalition recently won a grant for the effort from the Department of Energy.

“Electric vehicles make sense for a number of reasons,” said Mike Ogburn, CLEER energy engineer “Electricity-generating fuels are diverse and domestically produced; electricity prices are significantly less volatile than oil prices; there is substantial spare generation capacity in the power sector; electrical generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure is already in place; and electric powertrains are highly efficient and economically competitive with combustion engines.”

The grant will allow Project FEVER members to work with partner governments around the state; to work with energy utilities to prepare for electric vehicle–related requests (including charger installations, rate impacts, rebates, incentives, etc.); to identify and begin to address other barriers that may exist (e.g., electrician training for charger installation, electric rate issues, citizen awareness, dealership technician training).

“This grant doesn’t mean that everyone in Garfield County will be driving electric vehicles next year,” said Ogburn. “This grant will help the Western Slope region get ready to adopt electric vehicles as they become available. There are EVs and plug-in hybrids being designed and built right here in the USA that are coming onto the market now, and many more are coming in the next few years. Plug-in vehicles are just one of many ways we can use to help reduce the $700 billion per year that Americans spend on foreign oil.”

News About Project FEVER

Denver Metro Clean Cities Coalition Awarded $500,000 Grant From Department Of Energy To Advance Electric Vehicles And Charging Locations

City of Fort Collins Building Electric Vehicle Support System

GPC DEMONSTRATOR SITE IS A PROUD GRANT RECIPIENT