By Jeff Murphy,
January 30, 2017
WARRENSBURG, MO – Helping to promote energy efficiency among students, faculty and
staff members who commute to campus, the University of Central Missouri has recently
installed new commercial charging stations for electric vehicles.
According to Mike Papasifakis, parking services sergeant in the UCM Department of
Public Safety, charging stations were installed during the winter break, and were
made possible in cooperation with Kansas City Power & Light Company (KCP&L). Eight
CT 4000 ChargePoint charging stations were provided, each one having the ability to
serve two parking spaces at one time. Three stations are placed in student Lot 13;
two in retail Lot 14, which is next to The Crossing – South and Holden; and three
in faculty/staff Lot 18, near Planet Sub.
These are the first charging stations on campus, and the only public charging stations
currently available in Warrensburg. Individuals who have electric vehicles with a
charging port can currently use these stations free of charge. UCM will continue to
look at how these stations are used to determine if there is a demand for additional
charging stations, Papasifakis said. KCP&L would determine if a charge for use of
these stations is needed in the future.
UCM appreciates the opportunity to work with KCP&L to make this opportunity possible
in cooperation with the automaker, Nissan, which provided funding for this project.
The company made the equipment possible, including covering construction costs. UCM’s
Office of Facilities Planning and Operations (FPO) assisted with installation.
“We benefit from having these charging stations for vehicle use, but there is an additional
benefit to having these stations near The Crossing because they contribute to our
LEED certification for that facility,” said Chris Bamman, director of FPO. LEED or
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is a designation given to buildings
that meet certain energy efficiency standards.
