11.27.2011

Toyama Leadership Rocks Down to Electric Avenue

Submitted by: Calvin Mesman, 
First Stop Portland Student Ambassador 

Even before the earthquake of spring 2011 rocked Japan's confidence in nuclear energy, leaders in the Toyama prefecture were actively promoting a low-carbon "Eco-Town" model based on compact development, renewable energy sources, increasing citizen participation, and expanding light rail transit. During a recent visit celebrating the 20-year anniversary of the Toyama prefecture's sister state relationship with Oregon, Toyama Vice Governor Koichi Uede spent the morning learning about the new Electric Avenue test site on the Portland State University campus.

Vice-Governor Koichi Uede checks out PSU's Electric Avenue
The delegation toured Electric Avenue's charging stations and learned about current and future plans for Electric Vehicles (EV) in the region from Katja Dillmann, Transportation Policy Advisor for the Mayor’s office, and Amy Hillman, Oregon Sales Manager for ECOtality, a clean electric transportation and storage technologies company. Each gave a brief introduction to electric vehicles and their importance within the Portland Metro region.

Sounds like a great idea, the delegation observed, but will it work?