New York Times
August 26, 2011
Portland Plans for Transit All Powered by Electricity
Ken Belson
Ken Belson’s recent article in the New York Times about Portland Oregon’s infrastructure investment to support electric vehicles notes that Portland has the country’s highest per-capita ownership of Toyota Prius hybrids. This writer lived in Portland for five years, and I can confirm that the Rose City is an excellent location for testing the transportation solutions of the future. Belson’s article features a canopied charging station for electric vehicles that is powered by solar cells on the roof of the canopy. According to the article, future installations will include an underground bank of batteries to store electricity for distribution after dark. As noted in a previous Energy Forward post, it is essential to develop the infrastructure to support widespread deployment of electric vehicles, to eliminate the “range anxiety” faced by drivers of all-electric vehicles. Portland is at the cutting edge of this new technology, and it fits the environmental profile of the city.