OREGON – Dedicated staff on Job Corps Forest Service Civilian Conservation Centers prepare youth for successful careers, along with cultivating their sense of stewardship for the national forests and grasslands. Well aware of the impacts of climate change and wanting their students to inherit a healthy planet, these educators strive to make choices that ramp-up the use of clean energy. 

Wolf Creek Job Corps Center, under the guidance of  Job Corps National Office Fleet Manager John “Coop” Brantley, installed an off-grid vehicle solar charging station on March 31, 2021, to demonstrate its commitment and investment in its students—both now and in the future.

“I think its responsible how Wolf Creek Job Corps is taking positive steps to reduce its carbon footprint,” remarks carpentry student Andie Beltran. “It's rewarding to see how we are protecting the Umpqua National Forest and the environment overall."

The CCC mission requires that centers maintain a substantial fleet. Brantley, an electric vehicle aficionado, gained the blessing of USDA and USFS fleet management offices to purchase an EV ARC 2020 Solar Charger to support Wolf Creek’s two new electric hybrid vehicles and two service neighborhood electric vehicles.

“With the federal government’s goal of transitioning 100% of the federal fleet to electric powered vehicles over the next few years, the installation of our EVC ARC stand-alone vehicle solar charging station positions Job Corps well ahead of this initiative,” states Brantley. “This will allow us to monitor and collect data to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of this advanced solar charging technology in an austere environment.”

The simplicity of charging Wolf Creek’s vehicles streamlines the center operations for staff constantly on-the-go training and caring for youth ranging in age from 16 to 24.

“As all-electric highway driven vehicles are added to the GSA schedule for purchase, Wolf Creek was well-positioned to be the first Job Corps Center to accept an all-electric vehicle,” states Wolf Creek Assistant Works Program Officer Thomas Depew. “The unit is running smoothly and it’s an incredible asset. I was pleased that Wolf Creek was the first Forest Service Job Corps center to go green. I want us to be the model for going green--to our students, other CCCs and national forests and grasslands.” 

The EV ARC solar charger was installed with no disruption to the environment, no construction and is 100% renewably powered solely by sunlight. The system fits in the size of one single parking space and can be transported to different locations when needed. It is a natural fit for the center nestled on the edge of the forest. 

The new electric vehicle charging station dovetails nicely with the current administration’s ambitious clean energy vision. The charging station will provide free energy for the center vehicles on a daily basis. Wolf Creek currently maintains a fleet of 13 vehicles with an average age of approximately five to six years. In the first five months of this year, year-to-date fuel costs for the electric and gas-hybrid vehicles has been zero. Even after including variables for miles driven, this cost is a dramatic contrast to the year-to-date fuel costs for the centers three diesel trucks--which averaged out at around $719 per vehicle. 

Brantley shares, “When fully utilizing the unlimited renewable energy provided through the solar unit, there are zero emissions from the four vehicles that are charged on a daily basis. In addition to reduced fuel costs, the center no longer pays for charging the vehicles on its monthly electric bill. It’s a win-win.”

That’s a win-win for both young and old, the planet, and for an agency whose mission is to sustain the health of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.

The Wolf Creek Job Corps Center has the capacity to serve 221 students and equips students with the skills to help them secure well-paying jobs. As of May 31, 2021, it ranked 25 out of 117 Job Corps centers nationwide. 

In the program year ending on June 30, 2019, Wolf Creek students contributed to 7,248 hours to national forest project work and 12,477 hours to wildland firefighting. Their efforts directly support the agency’s strategic plan’s out-come oriented goals of delivering benefits to the public and excelling as a high-performing agency while sustaining our nation’s forests and grasslands.