EWEB opens 2026 electric mobility grants for Lane County organizations

Eugene Water & Electric Board opened its 2026 electric mobility grant round April 22 with a narrow but practical opportunity for Lane County organizations that want to put electric transportation in plain view. Nonprofits, academic institutions and public organizations in EWEB’s service territory can apply for one of up to three grants, each worth as much as $30,000 and able to cover 100% of project costs.

The deadline is July 31. EWEB is looking for projects that promote the adoption of electric transportation, which could include charging access, fleet transitions, education or other public-facing efforts that make electric mobility easier to use. The utility said projects serving underserved communities will get special consideration, especially in places where public charging is still thin on the ground.

That matters in a county where access is not evenly spread. EWEB Business Line Manager Juan Serpa Muñoz has summed up the utility’s approach in one line: “availability is not accessibility.” The grant program is aimed at closing that gap, so a successful application could help a nonprofit, school, transit-related program or public agency put chargers, electric vehicles or e-bike support where people can actually see and use them.

The money comes partly through the Oregon Clean Fuels Program, administered by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. EWEB says it earns Clean Fuels credits based on how many electric vehicles are registered in its service territory and the energy delivered at utility-owned public charging stations. The utility then sells those credits and uses the proceeds to support local electric transportation efforts. EWEB says the program does not affect customer bills.

The grant history shows what that money can do on the ground. In 2025, EWEB awarded nearly $90,000 total to the University of Oregon, Shift Community Cycles and Looking Glass Community Services. The University of Oregon used its grant to install a 150 kW dual-port fast charger for intercity bus lines. Looking Glass Community Services used its award to upgrade a maintenance van to a fully electric vehicle. Shift Community Cycles used grant money to develop e-bike service stations for repair and refurbishment work.

Lane Community College also has used earlier EWEB support to expand electric mobility, receiving $30,000 for its first electric vehicle in the motor pool after a separate $25,000 grant in 2022 to install a dual-pedestal Level 2 charging station on its main campus. EWEB said in 2023 it had already awarded nearly $125,000 total to local organizations promoting electric mobility, showing how a relatively small grant pool can leave a visible footprint across Eugene and Lane County.