By Alex Baumhardt 

Oregon Capital Chronicle

Washington, Oregon  and California are getting a major boost from the federal government to advance the shipment of goods by zero-emission trucks on Interstate 5.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is giving the three states $102 million to create a network of charging and fueling stations to power battery and hydrogen-fuel cell semi-trucks, according to a news release from Oregon’s congressional delegation on Tuesday. Additional federal funding will also pay Oregon $17 million to create two small-scale electric vehicle charging networks for standard vehicles.

Officials from Oregon, Washington and California transportation agencies pitched the idea of the West Coast zero-emission truck fueling corridor on I-5 to the U.S. Department of Transportation last year. They proposed to use federal money to build at least 34 medium and heavy-duty electric vehicle charging stations and five hydrogen fueling stations primarily along 1,400 miles of I-5 connecting highways to major freight hubs in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle.

It’s unclear how much of the $102 million will go to what state, or how many vehicle chargers or hydrogen fueling stations the state will be able to purchase. Matt Noble, a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Transportation, said the agency is waiting on those details from the federal government.

Medium and heavy-duty trucks account for nearly 30% of the U.S.’s total greenhouse gas emissions, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Transportation, including freight shipments, is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Oregon, the state Department of Environmental Quality said.

Local projects receiving additional grant funding include a network of vehicle charging stations in the central and northern parts of the Willamette Valley.

For one of them, the city of Albany will get about $1.9 million to install EV chargers at four spots: in its historic downtown area, at a park-and-ride lot connected to the city’s bus system, at a commercial area near I-5 and Oregon 99 east and at a city-owned parking lot serving the still dormant Mid-Willamette Valley Intermodal Center off of I-5.

Another $15 million will go to the Neighbors Charging Up program, or TANC-UP, to bring EV chargers to communities in the northern Willamette Valley. TANC-UP is a coalition led by the city of Tualatin, with participation from 16 neighboring cities, including Portland, Beaverton, Gresham, King City and Lake Oswego.

The group hopes to bring 1,000 EV charging ports to the area, with a priority on installations in low- and middle-income neighborhoods and multi-family housing and apartments. Chargers will also be installed at libraries, parks and community centers.

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