Press Release: The Need for EV Charging Infrastructure in St. Louis

Press release:

With 3 New EV Charging Station Installations, Microgrid Energy Prepares St. Louis for Influx of Electric Vehicles

Unveiling of several new electric vehicles at Detroit Auto Show highlights need for EV charging infrastructure here in St. Louis

Saint Louis – Already responsible for installing the first networked electric vehicle (EV) charging station in the St. Louis area, Microgrid Energy is working to prepare the Gateway City for the influx of electric vehicles set to hit the market.

“As we’ve seen from the recent Detroit Auto Show, nearly every major automaker is preparing to bring at least one electric vehicle to the market in the near future,” said Rick Hunter, Microgrid CEO. “Cities across the nation are installing infrastructure to support the new wave of vehicles and St. Louis will be no exception. Microgrid Energy is proud to be at the front lines, bringing EV charging stations to St. Louis and helping promote the use of cleaner, more fuel efficient vehicles.”

The company’s most recent work includes installing three new EV charging stations in St. Louis; partnering with the St. Louis Science Center on an electric vehicle educational exhibit; and exhibiting EV charging technology at upcoming the St. Louis Auto Show.

In 2011, Microgrid installed the St. Louis region’s first networked EV charging station at the St. Charles headquarters of Novus International, Inc. Microgrid also installed an EV charging station at the iconic Moonrise Hotel in the Delmar Loop and at the headquarters of electric utility Ameren.

In the last few months, Microgrid has installed EV charging stations at the Anheuser Busch Employee Credit Union in Soulard, the Laurel Apartments on Washington Avenue, and the Missouri Botanical Garden. Each of these charging stations is available for public use.

Additionally, Microgrid was asked by the St. Louis Science Center to help outfit their traveling educational exhibit that educates school children on electric vehicles and EV charging. The exhibit is transported via an electric-powered truck – called EVie – on which Microgrid also installed solar panels. The truck already results in reduced carbon emissions, and those emissions are further reduced through the use of solar power.

Electric vehicle charging will also be showcased at the upcoming St. Louis Auto Show as part of the very popular EcoCity. Microgrid will provide EV charging stations that will charge the electric vehicles that visitors can actually test drive inside the show, taking place January 26-29 at America’s Center.

Background on Microgrid’s EV Charging Station Installations

· Laurel Apartments: two Coulomb ChargePoint CT2003, which are wall-mounted charging stations capable of each charging one vehicle at a time, both at 240V fast charge.

· Anheuser Busch Employee Credit Union: a Coulomb ChargePoint CT-2021, which is a bollard-mounted charging station capable of charging two vehicles at a time, both at 240V fast charge.

· St. Louis Science Center: Electric-powered truck – called EVie – on which Microgrid also installed solar panels.

· St. Louis Auto Show 2012: EV charging stations in the Eco City area of the show, where alternative fuel vehicles and the entire new wave of green automobiles will be highlighted.

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Commissioner: We Need To Balance the Interests of People With "Corporate Citizens" By Given Corporations Everything They Want

The Commissioner who is in charge of deciding whether Ameren should be allowed to build a toxic coal ash landfill in the middle of the Missouri River floodplain is hinting that he's going to decide against the wishes of area residents:

“If we’re not going to approve this, then I think we have to give them some direction, or at least something other than we don’t want it.” Presiding Commissioner John Griesheimer tells KMOX it’s his opinion there has to be some partnership and balance between residents and corporate citizens. “That plant has been there for 40 years and it’s been producing fly ash. There’s two big fly ash ponds there now. A lot of these, most of the people who are complaining moved into the area after the power plant was there.”

In other words, the way to find a balance between residents and "corporate citizens" is to give "corporate citizens" whatever they want. Or, to put it more charitably, if those pesky residents oppose having toxic sludge in their backyard, it's up to them to come up with a perfect proposal that explains where the toxic sludge should go instead. After all, it was their decision and not Ameren's to produce the toxic sludge in the first place. Oh wait, no it wasn't.

Carbon Disclosure Project Founder Speaks At Webster (VIDEO)

Paul Dickinson, Founder of the Carbon Disclosure Project, spoke at Webster University today about the project, arguing that energy efficiency will be good for the United States' role in the global economy:

Join The Missouri Sierra Club's Clean Energy Jobs Tour

Thursday, June 30, 9:30 am to 12 noon
Meet at the Three Brothers Restaurant in Labadie, MO

Participate in the Missouri Sierra Club's first Clean Energy Jobs tour on Thursday, June 30 in Franklin County, just west of St. Louis County.

Please RSVP here.

The bus tour will depart at 9:30am from the Three Brothers Restaurant in Labadie located at 117 Front St, Labadie, MO 63055 (get a map)
We will begin by viewing the site of Ameren's proposed new coal ash pit at the Labadie coal fired power plant. Leaders from the Labadie Environmental Organization will be our tour guides.

We will then tour the recently expanded CG Power Systems plant outside of Washington, MO, which manufactures transformers for wind and solar generators.

We will return to Labadie at noon. The tour is free.

RSVP today for the Missouri Sierra Club's Clean Energy Jobs Tour!

This is a great opportunity to see the birth of a clean energy economy here in Missouri.

If you have any questions, please call 314-644-1011 or else email Michael.Berg@sierraclub.org.

Modern Day Hog Farms Are Horrible

I hate modern day hog farms because they're inhumane, have horrible working conditions, and are environmental disasters. But, of course, they also suck pretty bad just because of the smell:


h/t Missouri News Horizon.

National Coal Council Cancels Meeting Because of Wash U Student Protesters

Wow, this is a pretty cool story from StudLife:

A National Coal Council meeting in downtown St. Louis was canceled following a protest from Washington University Green Action.

Directly after council members had finished taking roll call on Tuesday, students from Green Action and Missourians Organized for Reform and Empowerment entered the meeting at the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark. The students unfurled a banner proclaiming, “Coal is never clean” and sang, “Clean coal is a dirty lie.”

“Clean coal doesn’t exist, and we’re opposed to the lie that there’s any way to use coal safely without hurting communities,” said Green Action member Harry Alper, a senior.

The group was escorted from the hotel by two officers from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. The Hilton’s head of security had not yet arrived at the event.

According to Officer Mana, the situation was “no big deal,” and students were polite and peaceful as they left the building.

According to the article, they decided to cancel the meeting, but still stuck around to eat their private lunches. So why have a meeting in the first place? Oh yeah, because they have money to burn.

Read the whole thing.