In the News
EBCE's Brownfields-to-EV Charging Fields Pilot Team Wins EPA Award
Project looks to jumpstart the transition of sites with environmental concerns into electric vehicle fast-charging hubs in the East Bay
December 15, 2022 - (Oakland, CA) - At last night’s December meeting of the Board of Directors of East Bay Community Energy (EBCE), Eric Byous from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Pacific Southwest Region IX office presented EBCE's Jessie Denver (Director, Transportation Electrification) and Zac Thompson (Senior Associate, Transportation Electrification) with an award for their innovative pilot project. The EPA’s 2022 National Notable Achievement Award for Land Revitalization Team Excellence was granted in recognition of Denver and Thompson’s extraordinary innovative and collaborative efforts to demonstrate the viability of revitalizing brownfield sites into zero-emission electric vehicle (EV) fast charging hubs for two use cases: light-duty passenger EVs and zero-emission medium-and heavy-duty goods movement vehicles.
Brownfields are sites on which hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants are suspected or have been found that complicate or prohibit the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of said property. EBCE’s work involved a first-of-its-kind approach with the EPA to evaluating brownfield reuse as potential sites for zero-emission EV fast charging, identifying potential sites along the busy Interstate 880 corridor in the East Bay. The most promising sites will be further assessed to identify opportunities to develop EV charging infrastructure where it's needed most.
And the pilot project laid the foundation for EBCE to expand its brownfields feasibility analysis to the rest of its service territory through a follow up Brownfields Assessment grant award. The work currently being conducted by EBCE’s Transportation Electrification program team includes development of an inventory of thousands of prospective brownfield sites that may be appropriate for EV charging hub redevelopment.
The efforts of EBCE’s pilot project, and their current Brownfields Assessment grant, are creating a replicable process for understanding the potential of revitalizing these sites as EV fast charging hubs to maximize delivery of community benefits. This work reflects outstanding performance in support of EPA and some of EPA’s most significant priorities. The award recognizes EBCE's Transportation Electrification program team’s accomplishment as one of the most noteworthy nationwide.
“EPA celebrates East Bay Community Energy’s pioneering work to revitalize brownfields into fast charging hubs for zero-emission vehicles,” said Adrienne Priselac Assistant Director of EPA’s Land, Chemicals and Redevelopment Division. “EBCE’s work helps improve air quality in the Bay Area for underserved communities impacted by goods movement and vehicle emissions. Moreover, EBCE’s comprehensive approach is the first of its kind funded by the EPA Brownfields Program and lays out a process that can be replicated in communities across the country.”
“Our work on this project aims to develop solutions to two key challenges: brownfields cleanup and revitalization, and expanding equitable access to EV fast charging throughout EBCE’s service area, especially for renters in multifamily housing and truck fleets operating in or through our communities most impacted by air pollution.” said Denver.
For more information on the EPA-EBCE technical assistance project that earned this award, please see Transforming Blighted Properties into Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Stations (PDF).
For more information on the EPA Brownfield grant award to EBCE, please see EPA Grant Helps Turn Brownfields Green and EPA Brownfields Grant Fact Sheet for EBCE.
To learn more about how EV charging stations can help transform historically underserved communities through brownfields reuse, join the January 24, 2023 11am PT webinar jointly hosted by the Center for Creative Land Recycling, EBCE, ICF, and EPA on Charging Forward: Revitalizing Underutilized Sites into EV Charging Stations.
###
About EBCE
East Bay Community Energy (EBCE) is a not-for-profit public agency that operates a Community Choice Energy program in the California Bay Area for Alameda County and fourteen incorporated cities, serving more than 1.7 million residential and commercial customers. EBCE initiated service in June 2018 and expanded to Tracy in neighboring San Joaquin County in 2021 and will expand service to Stockton in 2024. As one of 24 community choice aggregation (CCA) programs operating in California, EBCE is part of the movement to expedite the climate action goals of their communities and those of California. EBCE is committed to providing clean power at competitive rates while reinvesting in its local communities and offering innovative energy programs. For more information about East Bay Community Energy, visit ebce.org.
MEDIA CONTACT
Dan Lieberman
925-579-1591