As ongoing climate change results in the intensification of hurricanes, wildfires and flooding, the nation’s institutional and commercial facilities continue ramping up their sustainability efforts, including cutting emissions. The use of electric vehicles has been a popular tactic to achieve such goals, and federal facilities are expanding their commitment to this technology.
In an effort to transition the federal fleet of vehicles to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), the General Services Administration (GSA) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently announced a contract award for the purchase of 140 solar-powered electric vehicle charging stations at 34 sites around the country. The VA is leaning in on the acquisition of ZEVs and taking this step to support those electric vehicles with the purchase of solar electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE).
The 140 solar-powered EVSE stations maximize VA’s flexibility on charging because they are mobile, rely on carbon-free electricity for the vehicles and are independent of the grid. Each EVSE station is equipped with four charging ports that will support VA’s growing fleet of ZEVs.
VA is looking to install charging stations at its medical centers and other locations in preparation for transitioning its fleet to ZEVs. These sites contribute to the growing number of properties around the country with dedicated charging stations, which will support a more sustainable transportation future.
GSA is the mandatory source for executive agencies purchasing non-tactical vehicles in the United States, excluding postal vehicles. The federal fleet consists of more than 423,000 leased and agency-owned vehicles.
GSA offers various types of EVSE through its Multiple Award Schedule program and recently awarded 16 governmentwide blanket purchase agreements, which will enable greater planning for and acquisition of EVSE at federal facilities. In the last year, the number of ZEVs ordered by GSA for the federal fleet rose from 643 in 2021 to more than 3,550 in 2022.
Dan Hounsell is senior editor of the facilities market. He has more than 25 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.
