BEND, OR -- Central Oregon Community College received a nearly $112,000 grant from the Oregon Clean Fuels Program and Pacific Power. "This grant allowed us to install charging stations at our Bend and Prineville campuses," says COCC Sustainability Coordinator Noelle Copley, "Which means we now have charging on all four COCC campuses, that are free and open to the public." She tells KBND News there are now 12 charging stations across COCC's four campuses. The new ports are located on the north side of Newberry Hall, on the Bend campus, and on the east side of the Prineville campus parking lot.

"The charging stations, themselves, are now open to the public," says Copley, "So, we’ve had charging stations at Madras and Redmond. They’ve been seeing an average charge two to 15 sessions a day, depending on which station it is." She notes, "The one close to the airport is pretty popular."

Copley says, "The grant also provided for us to partner with 350 Deschutes, to do education around electric mobility. And, also purchase three vehicles that we are now using in our COCC fleet." Those new EVs have proven quite popular with faculty and staff, "They’re going out daily to area high schools, they’re using them to shop for the student food pantry and faculty are using them to go between campuses. So, it’s been more successful than we even thought, originally."

In 2022, COCC President Laurie Chesley signed a climate pledge. Copley says, "The focus on electric vehicles and EV infrastructure for Central Oregon is part of the college’s greater mission to prioritize sustainability, in general."

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