The Fairbanks Area Surface Transportation Planning Policy Board will consider adopting a final version of an electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure implementation strategy for North Pole and Fairbanks on Wednesday.
The EV infrastructure plan serves as a blueprint to gradually build out assets for electric vehicles, such as charging stations. It also includes challenges, an inventory of existing infrastructure, cost projections and utility impacts.
FAST Planning Executive Director Jackson Fox told the FAST Planning technical committee on Dec. 4 that a 30-day public comment period was between October and November, with an open house at the Morris Thompson Visitors and Cultural Center on Nov. 7.
FAST Planning contracted Michael Baker International to develop the implementation plan. An important element emphasizes public-private partnerships with local host sites.
The plan cost $180,000 to develop and was paid with federal Carbon Reduction Program funding.
Fox said the plan’s steering committee drafted responses to the 17 comments it received and refined the plan accordingly.
“We added a new ‘Electric Vehicle 101’ section,” Fox said.
The information includes summaries of the different types of electric vehicles and charging station tiers.
Some of the existing conditions garnered include a slow growth in electric vehicles in Interior Alaska since January 2023. According to Alaska Division of Motor Vehicle registration data, there were 101 electric vehicles in Interior Alaska. It grew to 175 vehicles as of September of this year.
“Based on the registration trends of both the Interior and the state, projections were made to determine the expected number of EVs in the region in both 2030 and 2035 to allow for near-term and long-term planning,” the draft plan states. “In 2030, the region can expect to see a total of 355-612 EVs registered. In 2035, the region can expect to see a total of 534-1,774 EVs registered, depending on how aggressive the growth is over the next ten years.”
Golden Valley Electric Association hosts the only public charging station available in Fairbanks.
The plan includes several challenges to adoption of electric vehicles in Interior Alaska, with cold weather conditions at the top. Those challenges include reduced battery performance, increased consumption for vehicle cabin heating, battery charges, safety concerns and the limited charging infrastructure.
FAST Planning executed its own call for projects in 2023 and received seven applications for nine sites, including the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Pioneer Park, the Carlson Center, Noel Wien Library, the Lavery Transportation Center parking garage in downtown Fairbanks, the Juanita Helms Administration Building. the Morris Thompson Center, North Pole City Hall and North Pole Branch Library.
“This call for project nominations was the motivation behind this plan and its analysis to determine if the sites are adequate to meet the needs of the region and appropriate in size,” the plan states.
Public feedback suggested several additional sites for public chargers, including Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base, Birch Hill Recreation Area and ones in Chena Hot Springs Resort, Salcha, Ester, Fox and at the Hilltop Truck Stop on the Elliott Highway.
The plan notes that the Alaska Energy Authority intends to deploy two fast-charging stations in the region that are funded with National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program money. AEA’s efforts are part of the federally-funded Alaska Alternative Fuel corridor, which would build a network of stations up the Parks Highway.
One would be located at Fred Meyer on Airport Way and managed by Tesla, while the second would be located at the Westmark Fairbanks Hotel & Conference Center in downtown Fairbanks. Tesla received a $451,989 award for its Fred Meyer location, while eCAMION USA received an $875,951.
The NEVI program will also fund a charging station at Main Street and First Street in Nenana, one at Parks Highway Mile 239.9 in Denali National Park and Preserve and one in Trapper Creek.
According to the Alaska Energy Authority’s Fiscal Year 2025 implementation plan, those locations are planned to be operational by summer 2025.
Three Bears Alaska has also proposed hosting a charging station at its North Pole store location after it opens.
If the FAST Planning Policy Board adopts the infrastructure implementation plan, the transportation agency will issue a new call for projects and charging stations. Once that closes and a final list of sites is determined, FAST Planning would work with the Alaska Department of Transportation to secure engineering design and construction services.
Any site selection would require a 9% match from applicants.
FAST Planning would also explore additional funding sources outside the approximately $12 million it receives from the U.S. Department of Transportation to sustain ongoing infrastructure needs. Other goals include encouraging private investment and work with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1547 to develop training programs.
FAST Planning received 17 written comments, with several supporting an investment in an electric vehicle infrastructure. Others were more critical.
One comment stated that the money could be put to better use because there was no reason “EV infrastructure should be built in the interior of Alaska.” Another comment said while electric vehicles sound nice in theory they are far from a solution for going green.
“At the end of the day, this is a concept that will not help anyone, nor will it be the green solution they are being advertised as,” the comment read. “Sorry, but this is just a bad idea, and spending money we don’t have is an even worse idea.”
FAST Planning noted that the federal funding sources, the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality and Carbon Reduction Program, have limits on what can be funded. FAST Planning also noted that its feedback from Fairbanks drivers indicated “that EVs are generally reliable at -40 degrees.”
“FAST Planning’s vision is to support EVs as a transportation choice and option, not forcing EV adoption,” stated in its responses. “FAST funds all types of transportation projects for various modes of transportation.”
Another comment cited a disputed claim that electric vehicles would disrupt the power grid, that it would disrupt the gas car industry and that such vehicles could become deadly for occupancies during below freezing temperatures.
“People traveling in these cars in the winter will freeze to death as soon as there is any kind of a traffic jam on one of our long highways,” the comment read. “It will be catastrophic and could wipe out entire families and furthermore small children and seniors are at the highest risk for death and injury in these situations. Conclusion: Electric cars are deadly for Alaska and should not be sold here for the safety of the public.”
FAST Planning noted that Golden Valley Electric Association “does not have any concerns with the capacity of the grid.” The co-op utility has “a plan to expand as demand increases” based on long-term planning studies.
“GVEA has a robust system that can accommodate the proposed EV charging infrastructure in the FAST plan without impacting reliability,” FAST Planning responded.
With the claim about EVs being fatal, FAST Planning said that that electric vehicles are much like gas-powered cars: as long as there’s energy or fuel, occupants can keep warm.”
Other commenters welcomed the development and proposed looking at support for current fast-charging stations to reduce the recharging time.
FAST Planning also conducted a public survey, albeit with a limited response. Of those responses, about 43% owned an electric vehicle, 16% considered purchasing one in the next three years, 20% with the next five years and 20% rejected the notion.
The major turn-offs to purchasing an electric vehicle included the price, cold-weather performance, a lack of range and a lack of public charging stations.
The draft plan includes interviews with Fairbanks dealerships. Most did not have inventory in stock, citing either a lack of market demand, slow sales or a lack of space.
Seekins Ford Lincoln noted that it had sold six Ford Lightning F150 pickups and a Ford Mustang Mach-e sports coupe in the past. Chevrolet GMC of Fairbanks reported it sold two or three per year, while Fairbanks Nissan has sold none.
Kendall Toyota, Honda and Subaru provided the most in-depth response, citing that they have a few in stock. However, it would defer a sales request unless the buyer wishes to wait three or four months for a custom order to process.
The FAST Planning Policy Board meets on Wednesday at noon at its small boardroom at the Key Bank Building, 100 Cushman Street, Suite 215. The meeting is also conducted live via Zoom at fastplanning.us/keepup/zoom.