Joint Base Lewis McChord sent out a statement reminding the public that it is illegal to charge electric vehicles (EVs) in federal buildings.
In a Facebook post, the base noted that the number of EV owners charging their private EVs by plugging them into government buildings has risen and reminded that JBLM “does not have means for people to charge their privately owned EVs on base while away from home.”
“This is illegal, strictly prohibited,” JBLM added, “and something that could be prosecuted.”
Reactions
Several people gave different reactions to the post, ranging from surprise to agreement.
“I thought the Federal government was pushing EVs down our throats!” reacted Jim Brown, asking if there wasn’t enough money in the Inflation Reduction Act to install charging stations at the base.
“And this is why it's a terrible idea to go electric, Lucius Anthon Scipio commented. “Hardly anywhere to charge those vehicles.”
“Just like charging your electronics off government computer USB’s is not legal,” Amanda Church agreed. “It can compromise the system.”
“Could be interpreted as theft,” said Michael Smith, “theft of a [sic] government resources.”
“Then contract out to have chargers installed at multiple locations on base,” Drew Wasson suggested.
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jimlazar
Every large employer that provides parking should also provide adequate facilities for EV owners to charge. There are several companies that will provide that service. They provide the equipment. They pay the power bill. They charge the EV owners. All the employer is doing is providing a place to park cars (which it already does) and a place to install chargers (which it should do). It should not cost the employer (in this case, the US Government) a penny. No gift of public value; no theft.
Heck, they have a privately operated car wash on-base! Owned by Andy Ryder, the Mayor of Lacey. He drives an EV. He can probably advise on how to provide EV charging on-base.
This is particularly important for people who live in apartments and other living arrangements without private parking adjacent to their residence, as these people cannot easily charge at home. I used a commercial EV charging station in Oregon last month. It cost $0.20/kWh, a premium over what I pay PSE at home, but still under $3.00/gallon of gasoline equivalent. It costs me under $2/gallon equivalent to charge at home. That's including three different taxes that gasoline vehicles do NOT pay, but excludes the road tax that gasoline vehicles DO pay.
Wednesday, February 15, 2023 Report this