Go ahead and plug it in

i have always contended that WA St was always a bit more aggressive in supporting and encouraging alternative fuel vehicles. several years ago they mandated that all state sponcered vehicle fleet use alternative fuel whenever such a vehicle existed that will still support the need (obviously large vehicles are out but the Prius shines in this catagory.

here is an article about an additional step taken by the state to encourage non petroleum solutions. the guy featured was also at the Lacey Alternative Fuel Fair and Electric Car Rally

THE OLYMPIAN

Jerald Dodson gets to plug in his electric-powered truck at his state workplace, recharging it with taxpayer-paid electricity.

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The state Department of Transportation ended a little ethics dilemma Friday, saying it plans to redraft its commute-trip reduction program so that electricity can be provided to workers' alternative-fuel cars, scooters and other vehicles that don't use fossil fuels.

The state Executive Ethics Board was debating Friday whether an 80-cent-per-day gift of electricity to an employee is a trifle, or a misuse of state resources. Then DOT reported it plans to offer the electricity in lieu of some cash rewards to those using car pools, if they use vehicles that help reduce the use of fossil fuels.

The agency already pays workers such as Dodson a maximum of $55 a month as an incentive to car pool, said Brian Lagerberg, who manages a public transportation unit that oversees the commute-trip reduction program. He said he's not aware of other requests like Dodson's, but he has heard of people with electric scooters and electric bikes wanting to charge up.

The DOT announcement pretty well killed the discussion under way before the Executive Ethics Board.

“If the agency has incorporated these electric cars in their commute-trip reduction (plan), then that covers it,†ethics board member Evelyn Yenson said, summing up the board's sentiment.

Board Chairwoman Trish Akana said it sometimes takes a pioneer such as Dodson to get a policy change. She commended DOT for finding a way to address the issue outside the ethics arena.

Daily costs debated

Susan Harris, the top staff member with the ethics board, said the daily cost to charge an electric vehicle appears to vary, ranging from a Seattle city estimate of about 25 cents a day to the $1 or more estimated by some California agencies.

Until DOT's solution, Harris had suggested various policy avenues the board could dive into, which could have been a lengthy process.

Board members Judy Golberg and Paul Zellinsky were locking into an argument over whether 80 cents or $1 a day in electricity was really a matter to bother with. Golberg said it wasn't, and Zellinsky insisted that $5 a week could be a lot should 30 or 40 state employees decide they want to do this.

The ethics board is expected to draw up a statement for its frequently-asked-questions guide, or FAQ, showing that use of the incentive would not violate the state's Ethics in Public Service Act if it is part of an agency's formally drafted and approved commute-trip reduction plan.

Marie Steffen of DOT's internal audits office said that an FAQ will satisfy her agency's ethics concerns.

Work appreciated

Dodson, who works for DOT at its new Tumwater office, which has plug-ins for electric cars in the parking lot, was gracious toward the board, thanking everyone, including his employers, for their work.

“I appreciate that people put a lot of time and effort into this,†he said after the board meeting. “I'm glad it is a solution that doesn't just help me but encourages other people to drive vehicles that have alternative fuel and reduce greenhouse emissions.â€

He stood beside his simple black Mazda pickup, which he'd purchased secondhand several years ago. It's equipped with 18 batteries and an electric motor, all of which cost him about $7,000. It has four batteries under the hood and 14 more under the truck bed.

Dodson had asked to charge up the truck at work because its batteries were not quite strong enough to allow the round-trip commute from his home in unincorporated Thurston County, just north of Olympia. And it is bad for batteries to draw them down often, he said. Moreover, the DOT's new building next to Interstate 5 and Tumwater Boulevard has plug-ins for electric cars in the parking lot, which helped the building meet former Gov. Gary Locke's executive order on sustainability.

The plan

Under the plans roughly laid out by DOT, Dodson will continue to receive cash incentives from the state for car pooling to work with his wife, Susan, who also works for a state agency in Tumwater. But the value of the electricity would be included, so the couple could not receive more than the $55 per month limit the agency allows participants.

The Dodsons have been getting about $33. The new arrangement could begin in another month, once DOT's executives approve the new commute program, said Michele Brady, a facilities coordinator for the agency.

“I'm very pleased it's finally getting resolved. I personally had assumed they'd end up charging us for the electricity,†Susan Dodson said, adding the state is sending a message that encourages others to get off fossil fuels, too. “I feel strongly we're too dependent on foreign oil.â€