Keene, NH (August 26, 2014) – Antioch University New England (AUNE) has installed a publicly available Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Station on its campus in Keene. AUNE was chosen to receive one of only five station rebates from Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH). The station meets OSHA/ADA requirements, is consistent with AUNE’s cutting-edge Responsible Purchasing Policy, and delivers electricity to plug-in electric vehicles and hybrids for recharging purposes and is available for use by Antioch University’s campus community and the public. The station was produced by EVSE, LLC, of Enfield, Connecticut.
Antioch has made the commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by the year 2020 and the new EV Charging Station is one step in moving our learning community down the road to meeting that goal. said Abigail Abrash Walton, Director for the Center of Academic Innovation. We’re proud to be creating the structural support for the innovators who are adopting EV technology, and it is an excellent addition to our campus sustainability initiatives.
The Keene campus is dedicated to working towards no longer relying on, or offsetting the impact of, carbon dioxide-emitting fossil fuel-based sources of energy for electricity used, and the new charging station is the latest edition to a long list of sustainability successes aimed at achieving this goal. The success of the station will not only be measured through carbon reductions on campus, but by the awareness it will raise, the way in which it will promote electric vehicle usage, and the way it will connect the campus to the larger community by providing a free service aimed at reducing the overall collective carbon footprint.
Our commitment to walking our sustainability talk is admirable, said Dr. Jimmy Karlan, Core Faculty Member and Director of Science Teacher Certification for the Department of Environmental Studies. The sustainable practices that have become part of our infrastructure over the years is a testimonial to our students, faculty, staff, and administrators’ ability to join together to develop a campus rooted in ecological, organizational, and intra-personal sustainable practices, he added. Karlan has been riding his all-electric scooter to Antioch for the last two years in order to commute 60-miles round-trip. He says he looks forward to the day that he is no longer the exception to the rule.
Other sustainability initiatives at AUNE include enhanced composting and recycling infrastructure, a rain garden, and absorbent (porous) pavement sidewalks. The University has also led development and implementation of behavior change campaigns that have yielded substantial reductions in energy use such as Carbon Counts, aimed at raising awareness about leaving lights on in unoccupied rooms; Green Guru, an office energy efficiency audit and training for all employees; and Printer Accounts to reduce paper usage on campus. A more in depth list of sustainability efforts at AUNE can be found by visiting antiochne.edu/ssj/achievements/.
Save the Date: A ribbon cutting for the new EV Charging Station at AUNE is scheduled for Wednesday, October 1 at 4:00 pm. More information to follow.
About Antioch University: Antioch University is a bold and enduring source of innovation in higher education that serves adult students around the world, online and from its five campuses in four states in addition to its University-wide international and doctoral programs. The University lives by its mission every day by helping students realize their potential and achieve their educational goals through an innovative, rigorous and responsive learning environment Antioch University has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools since 1927. Antioch University New England is home to the first-in-the-country Environmental Studies and Educating for Sustainability graduate programs and Conservation Psychology Institute, and offers a top-ranked MBA in Sustainability.
