More than three years after the town of Porter and 25 other Northwest Indiana communities were awarded a federal grant to pay for electric-powered pickup trucks and charging stations, the project is ready to go forward.
That was the message Ryan Lisek, program director of Drive Clean Indiana, delivered to the Porter Town Council Tuesday. Lisek came to the council meeting to answer questions about the project.
The $4 million grant was awarded in May 2022, which would enable municipalities in Porter and Lake counties to obtain electric trucks and charging stations. The source of the federal dollars was the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which then-President Joe Biden signed on Nov. 5, 2021. One of the stated goals was to address climate change.
The grant money was originally going to be coordinated through the city of Lake Station, the lead applicant. Lisek said that has changed so that the federal money, held by the Indiana Department of Transportation, will be distributed by the Northern Indiana Regional Planning Commission. Each community would have a separate contract to buy the vehicles.
Lisek said NIRPC’s board is scheduled to approve the arrangement at its December meeting. The communities could begin buying the electric-powered trucks during the first quarter of 2026.
Porter Council President Laura Madigan, D-Ward 1, asked Lisek if there is a possibility that the federal government will suddenly claw back the money.
The way the program works is, the town would pay up front for the vehicles, then be reimbursed for up to 80% of the cost. Madigan said her concern is that the town could purchase a vehicle, and the federal government would suddenly take back the money that had been allocated.
“There is a high likelihood that will not happen,” Lisek said. “However, things have been very different this year.”
Lisek was referring to the change in philosophy on electric vehicles with the Trump administration and budget cuts made by the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Councilman James Burge, I-Ward 4, also wondered about the long-term because the Trump administration’s policies have not been as friendly toward electric vehicles compared to the Biden administration.
“It was a big day when Elon (Musk) and Trump broke up,” Lisek said. Musk founded Tesla, a leading electric vehicle producer.
Lisek said he still believes there is a future for electric vehicles. He noted that Ford and Chevrolet continue to be committed to producing the vehicles.
If Porter were to follow through, the grant would provide $33,280 per vehicle. Porter was interested in buying Ford F-150 Lightning pickup trucks. Porter wanted to purchase four trucks, so the grant would pay $133,120, with the town having to come up with $74,880.
The town was also looking to install two charging stations. The grant would pay 80% of the charging station’s $80,000 cost, Lisek said.
Lisek said that the town, at no cost, could receive Tesla charging stations that could be hooked up at a location that would have Wi-Fi, Lisek said.
Council members also asked if the electric pickup trucks would be suitable for police and fire departments.
Lisek said that Bargersville, south of Indianapolis, has a fleet of 14 Teslas and they have saved $500,000 in fuel costs over the past few years. He said that electric vehicles can be charged overnight and can go up to five days without a recharge.
The Porter Town Council has yet to decide what they will do. Town officials at the last council meeting said if they went forward with buying the vehicles, they would buy fewer of them.
In other business, Porter Police Chief Dan Dickey announced that the Police Commission has selected Sgt. Tom Blythe as the next assistant police chief.
The appointment will take effect after Oct. 31, when the current Assistant Police Chief Jason Casbon retires.
Blythe joined the department in 2021. He received honors from the Federal Railroad Administration and Indiana Operation Lifesaver for his actions on Aug. 1, 2021, when he talked a despondent man who was lying down on the tracks at Beam Street into getting up moments before an oncoming train would have run him over.
Jim Woods is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.