By Marcus Moss
(New EV charging station near Cort Condon Hall, photo taken by: Marcus Moss)
The University of Wisconsin–Green Bay’s (UWGB) Office of Sustainability has installed a new electric vehicle (EV) charging station in the Housing Main Parking Lot, near Cort Condon Hall and the Weidner Center.
This installation is part of an ongoing endeavor to enhance campus sustainability and provide convenient amenities for students. Currently, UWGB charges 25 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh)
with a four-hour grace period for students with an EV. “We encourage all EV owners to take advantage of this new facility. Happy charging!” stated the Office of Sustainability, in partnership with Housing and Residential Education.
The new charging station was installed in response to requests from students, staff, and faculty who own EVs and wanted on-campus charging options. According to Daniela Beall, UWGB’s Sustainability Coordinator on campus, the office conducted surveys in 2021 and 2024 to gather data on commuting habits, EV ownership, and interest in campus charging stations. “In an effort to accommodate those who already own EV’s, and to make EV ownership a more viable option for others in the future,” Beall said. “Out of 671 responses to our 2021 survey, there were 12 students, 8 staff, and 2 faculty who reported owning an EV. Out of the 671 responses to our 2024 commuting survey, there were 9 students, 17 staff, and 7 faculty who reported owning an EV.”
Festival Foods charging station on University Ave., photo taken by Marcus Moss
Currently, there are limited EV charging stations in the area near UWGB. The Festival Foods on University Avenue, which is about six minutes away, has a charging station. However, otherwise, EV owners who live on campus or commute would have to drive 15+ minutes to get to a Tesla Supercharge Station or other EV charging stations. When asked about the necessity of a charging station on campus despite Festivals having a charging station nearby, Beall responded, “It is not necessary to have a charging station on campus, but it is an amenity that is meant to support a subset of the population opting for EVs”
Beall also added, “In our 2021 survey of 671 people, when asked about whether respondents considered buying an EV if UWGB added a charging station, 59 students and 34 staff/faculty said yes, and another 261 people said maybe. In our 2024 survey of 671 people, when asked the same question, 19 students and 31 staff/faculty said yes, and 165 people (66 students, 99 staff/faculty) said maybe.”
As of now, no student, staff, or faculty have expressed their thoughts on the charging station, and there are no current plans to install more charging stations around campus. However, the Office of Sustainability is monitoring usage of the charging stations for Green Bay’s campus as well as other schools in the UW System campuses, such as Eau Claire, Madison, Milwaukee, Oshkosh, Platteville, Stevens Point, and Whitewater. “If there is sufficient demand for the charging stations, the two sites have the capacity for more stations to be added,” said Beall.