Electric power utility Entergy Texas has provided $255,000 grant to Sam Houston State University to install an electric vehicle charging station powered by 80 photovoltaic solar panels, in order to meet the growing sustainability needs of its customers.
According to the company, the project will mark Sam Houston State’s first EV fast charging station, capable of fully charging batteries within an hour. Entergy representatives and SHSU faculty, staff and students unveiled the charging station during a special ceremony near the school’s Hoyt Art Complex.
“At Entergy Texas, we always look for ways to partner with universities and learning institutions in our service territory to advance evolving technologies,” said Stuart Barrett, Vice President of Customer Service for Entergy Texas. “This grant will help students and faculty gain valuable experience with both solar panels and EV chargers.”
Entergy says the project was made possible through its Environmental Initiatives Fund, which aims to reduce emissions, protect natural resources and restore wetlands and forests. The design, construction and implementation of the charging station was a collaborative effort by the university’s department of engineering technology’s faculty, technician and multidisciplinary students with logistics support from academic community engagement staff.
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SHSU representatives anticipate the charging station will be accessible to students, employees and the public by July this year.
“This is going to be the first DC fast charging station as well as the first solar project on campus,” said Reg Pecen, SHSU Professor of Engineering Technology. “Vehicles with totally empty batteries will be charged in 30 to 40 minutes as opposed to the seven to eight hours with a regular EV charger.”
Entergy has also partnered with five other utilities to form the Electric Highway Coalition to provide a seamless network of charging stations connecting major highway systems, as the Edison Electric Institute predicts that 18 million EVs will be on U.S. roads by 2030.
Entergy Texas provides electricity to approximately 500,000 customers in 27 counties. It is a subsidiary of Entergy, a company headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana.
