After receiving electronic vehicle charging stations through a federal grant, UCLA Transportation has already spent $40,000 installing only two chargers.
The department plans to continue pouring university money into this venture, with four more stations to be completed this quarter alone.
UCLA Transportation should not make any more installations unless they can be paid for by outside funds, from grants or the companies spearheading the charging stations.
In 2009, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded $114.8 million in federal stimulus to Ecotality, a company committed to clean energy, to install 14,000 electric chargers throughout the nation. Of those chargers, 12 will service UCLA in 2012.
The ultimate goal of the project is to promote sustainable transportation. But with the extreme cost of installation, maintenance and updates, these chargers will likely be a large net loss for the university. UCLA will only charge $2 per hour to use the station, which alone cannot come close to cover the cost of the stations.
Moreover, demand from electric car users is not necessarily a concrete reality but a prediction. Perhaps instead of spending money on installing more chargers this quarter, UCLA could put funds toward analyzing the popularity of the two stations already built.
The university is not planning on profiting from this venture, so without distinct societal demand for electronic vehicles, paying for stations is an unreasonable task.
The installation of these charging stations follows a trend of irrational federal spending on green technology amid national and state budget crises. The federal government has repeatedly invested in companies and largely failed at the expense of the taxpayer. On Sept. 6, Solyndra, a California-based solar panel maker, filed for bankruptcy after receiving a $527 million federal loan ““ money that will likely not be paid back.
With extreme, impending deficits, the millions of dollars invested into risky ventures should be withdrawn to cope with budget problems. Under current constraints, UCLA Transportation should not install any more chargers or fund any other experiment without clear and substantial benefit.
Furthermore, potentially spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on the chargers while also raising parking fees is unfair and irresponsible.
UCLA needs to strengthen its push for discretionary spending. Just as the UC system is negotiating donations to come with fewer strings attached, UCLA administrators should press the federal and state governments to allow more flexibility in the use of funds ““ providing more to general funds where it is needed most.