State Grant Funds EV Charging Station

Marlboro College is pleased to announce that it is one of nine locations in Vermont that received awards from a $400,000 Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) Grant Program this year. This valuable grant, supplemented by a major contribution from a generous donor, allows the college to install an electric vehicle (EV) charging station on campus. To be located in the admissions parking lot and able to charge two vehicles at a time, this exciting addition will be a boon to students, faculty, staff, and visitors with electric or hybrid vehicles.

“We are thrilled to have this opportunity to offer an EV charging station on campus, and to be part of a growing statewide network promoting the use of renewable resources,” said Kevin Quigley, president of Marlboro College. “Encouraging the use of electric and hybrid vehicles will help the college community reduce its dependence on fossil fuels.”

The grant application was an example of shared governance in action, with the Environmental Quality Committee working with Todd Smith, chemistry professor and sustainability project manager, as well as Hillary Twining, director of corporate and foundation relations. Other recent efforts by Marlboro to reduce its carbon footprint include partnering in Vermont’s largest net metering solar project, located at the closed county landfill, and a solar-powered greenhouse on campus.

Marlboro College joins the towns of Chester, Highgate, Norwich, and Warren, the city of Montpelier, as well as three other organizations, in receiving grants to construct EV charging stations. The grant money is derived from funds awarded to Vermont in the Volkswagen mitigation settlement, after the company violated the Clean Air Act.

Over the next several years, the EVSE program will deliver a total of $2.4 million to Vermont communities to fund EV charging stations in key areas like Marlboro. The EVSE Grant Program is a partnership between the Vermont Agency of Transportation, and the departments of Environmental Conservation, Housing and Community Development, Health, and Public Service.