Using Federal Charging Funds Equitably & Effectively

This webinar will explore how cities and states can apply the $7.5 billion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) federal infrastructure funds effectively, with a focus on the $2.5 billion discretionary community grants, to accelerate transportation electrification and center equity.

Our speakers will share considerations to best use federal funding to implement charging infrastructure. The presenters will include additional information for entities intending on applying for funding from the discretionary grant programs that provide access to EV charging within rural areas, low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, and communities with a low ratio of private parking spaces. Presenters will review best practices and use cases around using federal money on charging infrastructure and how best to implement people-centered equitable programs around community and accessibility. We will also preview the training, tools, and support that Forth will be providing to communities.

Cat Plein, Development & Communications Director, Forth 

Cat Plein serves as Development & Communications Director at Forth, where they lead the teams responsible for marketing and communications, events, business development, fundraising, and strategic partnerships. Cat brings over 15 years of experience growing teams in nonprofit and corporate organizations. Cat has a B.A. in History and English Language & Literature from the University of South Carolina.

Speakers

Steve Lommele, Interim Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Lead, Joint Office of Energy and Transportation

Steve Lommele is on detail to the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). In this role, he leads communications and stakeholder engagement, supports technical assistance and capacity building, and collaborates with internal and external partners on workforce development priorities. He joined NREL in 2008 and is a project leader in the Center for Integrated Mobility Sciences. Previously, he led collaborative efforts with end-users of NREL and U.S. Department of Energy transportation and mobility research to deploy innovative solutions for advanced transportation projects, encompassing alternative fuels, mobility systems, electric vehicles, fleet operation, and transportation efficiency. He also worked with Clean Cities coalitions and other industry stakeholders on efforts related to the energy impacts of evolving transportation technologies, managed the Alternative Fueling Station Locator, and coordinated standards development for electric vehicle supply equipment data sharing.Before joining NREL, he worked as an outreach and education field programs manager for the International Mountain Bicycling Association, where he traveled the country and worked with advocates and land managers in 43 states. He also spent six years working in public relations, supporting clients in the technology industry. He holds a master’s degree in environmental policy and management from the University of Denver and a bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Bridget Gilmore, EV Charging Fellow, Joint Office of Energy and Transportation

Bridget supports the communications and stakeholder engagement team at the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. Previously, Bridget was a senior analyst in the Sustainable Transportation Practice at the Cadmus Group. In this role, she worked alongside governor’s offices, airports, state DOTs, and utilities to create EV roadmaps, model emissions and financial impacts of electrification, and evaluate transportation electrification programs. Prior, she was a tech-to-market scholar with DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) supporting the NEXTCAR program. Bridget’s passion for electrified transportation began while assisting school districts to implement electric school bus pilot programs with the Environmental Law and Policy Center. Bridget has a M.E.M. from the Yale School of the Environment and a B.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

Geoff Gibson, Senior Program Manager, Forth

Geoff leads the Access to Charging team at Forth which oversees programs that tackle complex problems such as multi-unit dwelling charging and workplace charging. Prior to Forth, Geoff worked as a city transportation planner in Portland, OR. Geoff holds a Master's in Urban and Regional Planning and a B.A. in Geography and GIS from Portland State University.