Gresham Plugs In With Charging Station for Electric Vehicles

See the new station in action Tuesday, December 16‏th.

Gresham, Oregon is getting greener

(GRESHAM, Ore.) - The City of Gresham is unveiling the city's first Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Station as part of Portland General Electric's new network of charging stations in the region. Gresham is the third city government in Oregon to install a plug-in station and the eighth location in PGE's growing network of stations.

The EV charging station provides the general public the opportunity to recharge their electric vehicles with renewable energy from PGE. There is no charge to use the station. Drivers simply park their cars at the Gresham City Hall station and plug in their vehicles the same way a household appliance plugs into the wall.

With concerns about global warming and rising fuel costs, city leaders and Gresham residents are looking for more economical and sustainable transportation options. The City of Gresham joined forces with PGE to install the station to help develop and test the transportation infrastructure needed to support plug-in vehicles. Automobile manufacturers are expected roll out a new generation of electric vehicles within the next few years.

Gresham City Councilors will invite plug-in electric vehicle owners to plug in to the station. Gresham resident Wendy Marshall will demonstrate how the plug-in station works using her converted electric Toyota Prius. PGE representatives will talk about the new network of electrical charging stations in the Portland metro area.

The unveil will be on Tuesday, December 16th, from 11:00 to 11:40 AM. City officials say that at 11:00 AM, Gresham resident Wendy Marshall will arrive in her electric car, plug in and kick off the launch of the new charging station at Gresham City Hall, 1333 NW Eastman Parkway.

Source: City of Gresham