News Release

June 24, 2013 — Tukwila

The King County Housing Authority has installed an electric-vehicle charging station at its administrative offices in Tukwila, Wash.  KCHA is the first housing authority in the nation to do so.  KCHA’s EV charging station is also the first publicly accessible charging station in Tukwila.

“This station is part of a growing network that will strengthen the charging infrastructure and help the region as it transitions to electric cars,” said Stephen Norman, executive director of the King County Housing Authority. “In addition to its environmental benefits, this charging station will support local economic activity due to its convenient location near Southcenter’s retailers, restaurants and services.”

The Level 2 (220-volt), one-car station is located on the southeast corner of the Housing Authority’s Section 8 parking lot at 700 Andover Park West. It is operated by ECOtality, the largest EV charging network in the state, and is part of the Blink network. Drivers who are charging up can leave their car at the station while they shop, eat, or run errands at the nearby Target, Westfield Southcenter Mall, Southcenter Square, and Parkway Super Center.

The King County Housing Authority has a broad range of sustainability initiatives underway, ranging from energy use reduction through the weatherization of existing buildings, energy-efficient new construction and solar electric generation to recycling and waste stream reduction, safe disposal of toxic materials and surface water filtration.  Water usage by the Authority has been reduced by 40 percent since 2004.

As part of KCHA’s overall plan, this station will help the agency achieve its green fleet goals and comply with requirements mandated by state law to begin purchasing electric, plug-in electric and/or alternative fuel vehicles to replace aging vehicles in its fleet.

Gasoline and diesel vehicles are a huge source of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 31.4 percent of the state’s total greenhouse gas emissions and 26 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2010. Electric cars, as well as plug-in hybrids operating in all-electric mode, emit no harmful tailpipe pollutants.

As of December 2012, 4,588 electric cars and trucks were registered in Washington state, about half of which are registered in King County, according the state Department of Licensing. It is expected that more than 100,000 plug-in electric cars will be sold in the U.S. this year.

The station was funded through a grant from the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services under a federal stimulus grant made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

ECOtality is the project manager of The EV Project and will oversee the installation of 15,000 commercial and residential charging stations in 16 cities and major metropolitan areas in six states and the District of Columbia. The project will provide EV infrastructure to support the deployment of 8,300 EVs.