THE ELECTRIFICATION OF TRANSPORTATION IN OREGON: OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNIVERSITY, GOVERNMENT, AND INDUSTRY COLLABORATION by ELAINE MARIE PHILLIPS A THESIS Presented to the Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management and the Graduate School of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Community and Regional Planning June 2012 THESIS APPROVAL PAGE Student: Elaine Marie Phillips Title: The Electrification of Transportation in Oregon: Opportunities for University, Government, and Industry Collaboration This thesis has been accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Community and Region Planning degree in the Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management by: Professor Robert Young Chairperson Professor Gerardo Sandoval Member Director Anthony Hicks Member and Kimberly Andrews Espy Vice President for Research & Innovation/Dean of the Graduate School Original approval signatures are on file with the University of Oregon Graduate School. Degree awarded June 2012 ii © 2012 Elaine Marie Phillips iii THESIS ABSTRACT Elaine Marie Phillips Master of Community and Regional Planning Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management June 2012 Title: The Electrification of Transportation in Oregon: Opportunities for University, Government, and Industry Collaboration To promote economic recovery and create jobs, Oregon has developed a collaborative approach to economic development and turned its attention to stimulating the growth of competitive industry (Porterian) clusters. The electric vehicle (EV) cluster is one of the state’s 21 priorities. With federal funding for electric vehicle infrastructure and The Electrification of Transportation initiatives , momentum is building. The Oregon University System, a number of state agencies and a coalescing group of EV entrepreneurs are pushing Oregon forward as a major player in the global marketplace. This thesis reviews an Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium study to determine whether the institutions of the Oregon University System and the state government are meeting the needs of EV entrepreneurs in this effort. The review concludes that Oregon’s institutions need to further develop their collaborative networks with entrepreneurs for Oregon to be a competitor. iv CURRICULUM VITAE NAME OF AUTHOR: Elaine Marie Phillips GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOLS ATTENDED: University of Oregon, Eugene DEGREES AWARDED: Master of Community and Regional Planning, Planning, Public Policy and Management, 2012, University of Oregon Master of Science, Conflict and Dispute Resolution, 2012, University of Oregon Bachelor of Arts, Planning, Public Policy and Management, 1998, University of Oregon AREAS OF SPECIAL INTEREST: Economic and Community Development Collaborative, Community-based Planning Environmental Justice PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Development Director, Womenspace Domestic Violence Services, 2005-2008 Community Organizer, Stand for Children, 2003-2004 Program Manager, Lane MicroBusiness, 1998-2005 GRANTS, AWARDS, AND HONORS: Collaborative Governance Award, Negotiated Rule-making with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Citizen Task Force, National Policy Consensus Center, 2011 Savage Award for International Study, Northern Ireland Economic Development, University of Oregon, 2010 v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to express deep appreciation to Professor Rob Young for his ferocious inspiration to demand a sustainable future, as well as insisting on personal excellence, and Professor Geraldo Sandoval for deepening my understanding of institutions and the obligation of planners to create just cities. In addition, special thanks are due to Director Tim Hicks, whose mentorship moved beyond transferring information and into nurturing my growth as a person. Bob Parker made this project possible by hiring me as an intern for a resource mapping project with the Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium (OTREC) and by his years of teaching planning methods and modeling professional work ethics which resulted in my ability to complete graduate school. I was fortunate to have his attention both as an undergraduate and a graduate student, and the quality of his teaching has shaped who I have become. My research was supported in part by OTREC and John MacArthur at Portland State University, Drive Oregon and the Oregon Electric Vehicle Association. vi For you, Mom. I hope I made you proud. ☺ vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1 A. Road Map ......................................................................................................... 2 B. Brief Economic History ................................................................................... 3 C. Economic Indicators that Show the Electric Vehicle Industry Is Viable for Oregon ........................................................................................................ 5 1.) Oregon’s Status in Pertinent Sectors......................................................... 5 2.) Oregon’s Success in the Green Economy and the Potential for Jobs ....... 7 D. Building Momentum Among Stakeholders ..................................................... 9 E. Establishing a Managed Collaborative Process ................................................ 17 II. LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................ 20 A. Regional Competitiveness Via Industry Clusters ........................................... 21 1.) Oregon’s Economic Development Councils ............................................. 21 2.) Cluster Economics and the Role of Public Institutions ............................ 24 B. Case Studies of Regional Economic Development and the Impact of Collaboration.................................................................................................... 31 1.) Route 128 .................................................................................................. 32 2.) The Silicon Valley ..................................................................................... 34 3.) Translating the Comparison for Oregon .................................................... 37 III. METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................ 42 IV. INVENTORY OF EV ACTIVITY IN OREGON ................................................. 44 A. Oregon Business Council and the Oregon Business Plan ............................... 44 Chapter Page B. Business Oregon and Oregon InC. Assist ......................................................... 45 C. Drive Oregon: An Initiative to Support the Growth of the EV Industry Cluster .................................................................................................. 46 D. State Advisory Councils .................................................................................. 49 1.) The Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Working Group (AFIWG) ............... 49 2.) The Transportation Electrification Executive Council .............................. 52 E. Oregon Department of Transportation, Office of Innovative Partnerships ..... 53 F. Willamette Angel Conference .......................................................................... 54 V. AN OVERVIEW OF THE OREGON UNIVERSITY SYSTEM AND COMMUNITY COLLEGES WITH AUTOMOTIVE INTERESTS .................... 57 A. The Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium .................. 57 1.) Purpose ....................................................................................................... 57 2.) Objectives .................................................................................................. 59 B. Oregon’s Signature Research Laboratories .................................................... 61 C. Oregon State University .................................................................................. 62 1.) The Office of Commercialization and Corporate Development and the OSU Venture Fund............................................................................... 64 2.) Research and Development Institutes ........................................................ 65 D. University of Oregon ....................................................................................... 67 1.) University of Oregon Research Centers and Institutes .............................. 73 E. Portland State University (PSU) ..................................................................... 75 1.) Portland State University’s Electric Urban Mobility Initiative (EUMI) .. 77 2.) Research Agenda ....................................................................................... 79 ix Chapter Page 3.) PSU’s Expertise ......................................................................................... 80 4.) Faculty and Staff ........................................................................................ 81 5.) On-going Efforts ........................................................................................ 82 6.) Proposed Research Projects ....................................................................... 83 F. Oregon Institute of Technology ....................................................................... 86 1.) Current Assets ............................................................................................ 86 2.) Opportunities.............................................................................................