I recently received a corporate-news email boasting that SAIC has joined The Climate Registry.

Of course, my first thought was my favorite environmental topic: at-work charging for electric vehicles. So I wrote them the following letter. We'll see what comes of it.

Sir or Madam,

I was pleased to see that SAIC has joined The Climate Registry and started an inventory of its environmental impact, including carbon emissions. One commonly overlooked corporate environmental impact is employee automobiles. SAIC offers some work-at-home programs that can offset these costs, but most of our Orlando work requires on-site presence, either due to a collaboration or security requirement. However, there is another, less expensive means we could use to reduce these emissions: outdoor automotive charging.

As an electric vehicle owner, I am aware of the advantages and disadvantages of battery-powered cars. Range and battery life issues make fully electric cars a poor choice for some employees. But the availability of charging at work greatly alleviates these issues for the vast majority of commuters.

An outdoor charging station need be no more complicated than a simple electrical outlet with GFCI protection. An electric vehicle driven on an average commute will require less than 7kwh of charging -- less than $1 at today's prices! Providing charging -- for free or for a fee with a tag or sticker -- would be an inexpensive employee retention incentive.

While only a small fraction of employees would be interested today, the popular hybrid cars of today are evolving to the plug-in hybrid (and fully electric) cars of tomorrow. When these cars can use electricity from a standard outlet to drive 30 miles, with the security of a gasoline-powered reserve, they will become even more popular. At that time, employer-provided charging will be considered a perk; eventually it will become expected.

I urge SAIC to install at least one outdoor charging outlet as an "Electric Vehicle Parking Space" at each of its facilities. As an electric vehicle owner, I could demonstrate the utility of such an installation at the SAIC Pointe Orlando location.

Thank you,
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