USF St. Petersburg’s latest initiative in its effort to attain sustainability and reduce its ecological footprint was unveiled on March 21 when two electric vehicle charging stations were opened near the Tavern.
The 240-watt stations charge cars such as the Chevy Volt much faster than standard outlets. USFSP’s stations are open to the public and currently free of charge.
The charging stations—which have also just been installed throughout the city of St. Petersburg—were installed with the help of a U.S. Department of Energy Grant awarded to the school by Progress Energy.
“At first I thought it was unnecessary,” said Student Government senator Lauren Reilly, “but after seeing the Volt plugged in I changed my mind. Seeing the station in use will help encourage people. I know a lot of students who want electric cars.”
The Student Green Energy Fund is working in combination with grants like these to pave the way for more sustainability initiatives. USFSP is one of the first to implement the SGEF campaign, which adds $1 per credit hour taken to tuition to raise revenue for use on environmental projects.
“Having the SGEF is a really good step,” Reilly said. “We’re one of the first to get the scholarship. It will help us reach carbon neutrality faster.”
Humans are using resources much faster than the Earth can recycle or recreate them—current estimates put resource usage at about 1.5 planet Earths. This revelation has led to a global movement toward sustainability and private and government support for projects such as USFSP’s new charging stations.
To learn more about the SGEF Committee or other sustainability programs, visit usfsp.edu/sgef.
Photo by Daniel Mutter
