May 17, 2022 10:10 a.m.

A pilot project will bring electric vehicle chargers to selected state parks.

A release from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department said starting this summer and over the next year, Level 2 EV chargers will be installed in some state parks as part of the project created by the agency and the nonprofit Adopt a Charger organization. The agreement between the two allows fundraising and donations to cover the installation of the chargers and includes an option for the electricity costs to be covered by a donor for up to three years.

OPRD said Rivian, an electric vehicle manufacturer and automotive technology company, is working with AAC to donate the installation design, construction costs and EV chargers as part of its Rivian Waypoints charging network. In addition, Entec Polymers has offered to sponsor the cost of electricity through its partnership with AAC for a limited time.

OPRD Director Lisa Sumption said, “Beyond helping reduce global and local pollution, including greenhouse gasses, state parks need to be accessible to everyone”. Sumption said, “Looking ahead, electric vehicles will become more and more common, and rather than wait for someone else to fill all the charging gaps, we want to do our part”.

More information about state parks is at: https://stateparks.oregon.gov/

The tentative list of the pilot project sites: L.L. Stub Stewart State Park; Banks-Vernonia State Trail; Rooster Rock State Park; Silver Falls State Park, The Cove Palisades State Park; Prineville Reservoir State Park; Cape Lookout State Park; and William M. Tugman State Park. This list may change as the project progresses.