The EMPOWER Project

Meet Steelman. That’s what Nuway Construction named its Cybertruck. It’s the first and only one in town. Steelman can be found cruising all over Indiana, where Nuway has been designing and constructing new buildings for almost 50 years. A few years ago, Nuway's owners, Jan Oostland (left) and Andy Nesbitt (right), decided to make rooftop solar a core part of their service. They installed solar panels on their roof and have since helped their customers install acres of panels. Today, they offer EV chargers for their employees and wider community–FOR FREE. More than that, they now offer a brand new product called the PowerShingle. It’s an integrated solar canopy designed for parking lots. And it’s 100% Made in America. Thank you Nuway Construction for joining The EMPOWER Project, and for paving the way toward a clean energy future!

9,400+ charging ports installed. That is a BIG number. And behind it is an incredible company called EnviroSpark Energy Solutions. Founded in 2014, they’ve developed a deep expertise in the design, installation, and operation of EV chargers. It’s why organizations like Tesla and Electrify America have leaned on them to build thousands of their charging stations. To top it off, they’ve been recognized as one of Atlanta’s Best Places to Work. They make it easy for their customers, and are focused on bringing chargers to underserved locations, including apartment building garages. Like us, they believe EVs are for everyone, and we are grateful to call them a partner! 

His name is Jukka Kukkonen. Pronounced “Yoo-kuh Koo-ko-nin.” It sounds way cooler when he says it. Jukka grew up in Finland on the family farm. As a young boy, he spent as much time as possible in the garage, working on cars, mopeds, motorcycles–anything that moved. At 16 years old, he owned his first road legal car, thanks to hours of searching for parts and putting it all together. It didn’t matter that he couldn’t personally drive it–you have to be 18 to get a license in Finland. Jukka just loved fixing up old cars and had older friends who were happy to drive. This is a photo of Jukka at 18 years old in what was likely his 8th car (it was hard to keep track). It was a “barn find” he fixed up and then drove off to college, about 400 miles from his hometown.  After earning a degree in automotive engineering, Jukka joined Ford in Finland. He personally trained over 2,500 people, helping dealerships sell Fords in Europe. One day, something very different showed up at the training center: an EV by the name of “Think City.” Ford had purchased the Norwegian carmaker, and Jukka was very happy they did. Growing up in the countryside and feeling a strong bond with nature, he was no longer interested in selling internal combustion engines. EVs were the future. He knew it. Unfortunately that dream was short lived–Ford quickly pulled the plug (pun intended) on the Think. Around that time a new love entered Jukka’s life–his future wife. They moved to her home state of Minnesota, started a family, and that’s where he’s been ever since–doing all he can to advance the EV industry. Jukka generously shares his EV expertise with his community and the wider world in a wide variety of ways. Here’s a few… He created the MN EV Owners chapter of the Electric Vehicle Association. It’s one of the largest and most active regional EV owner groups in the nation. At the University of St. Thomas, he teaches a graduate course on the EV market and technologies. He believes in making education fun and hands-on, which is why the class features  an “EV petting zoo” where local EV owners bring their cars to the school for students to see and test drive.  In addition, through his company Shift2Electric, he offers EV consulting and training for every organization playing a part in the EV ecosystem.  That includes us, The EMPOWER Project! Jukka created much of the content on our website, has been a guest speaker in our webinar series, and connected us with other trailblazers in the EV industry.  Thank you, Jukka, for your partnership and for your dedication to educating people on EVs. And thank you for moving to Minnesota! Because of you, so many Americans have experienced the joy (including the joy of cost savings) of electric driving.

Dexter Turner began his career as an aerospace engineer at Boeing, and then went on to start and build two highly successful aerospace start-ups. For his third act, lucky us (as in all of us), he decided to help tackle the climate crisis. His company, Portland-based OpConnect, has deployed thousands of EV charging stations across the U.S. and Canada. They offer an end-to-end service--from planning to installation to ongoing support--and a best-in-class software platform.  “Op” is short for optimization, which is what their platform is designed to do–enable their customers to make the absolute most of their charging infrastructure. The software is developed in-house and has earned Dexter a total of 9 patents. Just as impressive is OpConnect’s commitment to making access to EVs and chargers more equitable. The company aims to install 25% of its chargers in low-income communities. Thank you Dexter and your team for bringing all of your passion and expertise to the clean energy industry. The EMPOWER Project is happy to call OpConnect a partner! 

The EMPOWER Project is proud to call Beam Global a partner.   Don’t know Beam Global? They offer a rapidly deployed, solar-powered charging station that can be installed in minutes, not months. By avoiding a connection to the grid, companies save a ton of time and money. Beam Global’s EV ARC™ includes battery storage, so you can charge anytime. In addition to EV charging, EV ARCs™ also serve as impressive energy resiliency assets, offering emergency power panels, the ability to withstand up to 160 mph winds, and flood-proof up to 9.5ft. Thank you Joseph Nickerson and the Beam team for your partnership, and for all you’re doing to accelerate the adoption of EVs! 

The EMPOWER Project is happy to call EvoCharge a partner. At EvoCharge, and parent company Phillips & Temro Industries, EV charging stations are provided to employees that drive EVs. For many employees, it's their sole source of charging. Also, as a leading EV charger designer and developer, EvoCharge's employees get to field test the company's products, experiencing the latest, greatest innovations in EV charging. Thank you Tom Moser, Ty Larson, and the entire EvoCharge team for leading the “charge” (pun intended) on EV charging!

Amy Regimbal is the Fleet EV Program Coordinator for the Oregon Department of Transportation. She’s responsible for helping ODOT transition to zero-emission vehicles. Thanks to her hard work, the agency is up to 35 chargers across the state, which have changed the lives of many ODOT employees. Many of them have replaced their costly gas guzzlers with EVs–paying just $10 per month to charge. An unexpected bonus: Post-COVID, the chargers were a fantastic reason to encourage folks to come back to the office. Thank you Amy and ODOT for being part of the EMPOWER project, and for your continued commitment to expanding EV access to your team! 👏

Thank you Danniel Siksay and East Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition (ETCleanFuels) for your help supporting The EMPOWER Project! ETCF supports EMPOWER with behind the scenes invoicing, metrics tracking, and administrative tasks to help make sure everything is running smoothly. With this many partners, keeping track of the details is no small feat! East Tennessee Clean Fuels has been around since 2004 as part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Clean Cities and Communities program. Over the years, they’ve helped fleets across the region switch to alternative fuels, promoted the adoption of electric and alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure, and assisted local governments and businesses in securing millions in grant funding for clean energy projects.

Over 425 workplaces nationwide have signed The EMPOWER Project pledge, committing to expanding EV charging access to their employees. 60% of those workplaces are in disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution. This is all made possible by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), who’s been tackling this challenge for decades. Thank you Michael Berube and DOE team for laying the foundation for this project. We see and hear the difference workplace chargers are making in peoples’ lives, and people need to know it’s their DOE leadership making it happen!

A few years ago, Emerald People's Utility District (EPUD), a customer-owned electric utility in Oregon, installed a handful of EV charging stations for its employees. The result? 5 employees bought EVs. All in the same week. 😮 More employees followed suit. Here’s a photo of the team. 8 are first-time EV owners. Want to show your employees how much you love them? Follow EPUD’s lead. Install EV chargers! ⚡