Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Coming to the New Mark & Paula Hurd Welcome Center at Baylor

Contact: Shelby Cefaratti-Bertin, Baylor University Media & Public Relations, 254-327-8012
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WACO, Texas (June 6, 2023) – The U.S. electric vehicle market is rapidly increasing, with estimates that it could expand nearly tenfold by 2030. Texas currently ranks in the top three states with the most registered EVs, behind California and Florida. As the need for EV charging stations grows, Baylor University is getting ahead of the curve by bringing EV charging stations to campus, starting with installing a flagship charging station at the new Mark & Paula Hurd Welcome Center in time for its grand opening in September.

"As electric vehicles become more and more popular, we will be in a situation where more students, faculty and staff may need access to them, and we want to ensure that Baylor has those needs met ahead of time," said Karl "Rock" McNair, Jr., associate vice president of real estate operations at Baylor.

A team of representatives from Baylor departments, including Real Estate Operations, Sustainability, Parking and Transportation and Facilities Management, worked collaboratively to determine the best solution and find the right provider that will reflect the high-quality service associated with Baylor. That provider has been identified in ProStar Energy Solutions out of Frisco, Texas.

Owned by the Jerry Jones Family, ProStar sees the emerging market of EVs as an opportunity to be at the center of industry innovation.

"We are proud to be on the ground level of developing America's EV charging infrastructure, and to be partnering with the iconic brand of Baylor University to build new experiences that forge the future of Texas, makes us even prouder," said Eric Sudol, ProStar's president and CEO.

ProStar’s top-of-the-line Level 3 Juice Bar EV charger – which can charge up to two cars at a time and will allow drivers to charge their EV in under 30 minutes – will be installed this summer at the Hurd Welcome Center. Located at the corner of Interstate 35 and University Parks Drive in Waco, the 136,000-square-foot Hurd Welcome Center is a highly anticipated project in the life of the University.

The new “front door” to Baylor will serve as the home of Undergraduate Admissions and the McLane Alumni Center and a central hub for around 60,000 prospective students, families, alumni and other guests who currently visit campus each year. The Hurd Welcome Center features a grand hall and ballroom, spirit shop, Peet’s Coffee Shop, a suspended, 250-seat theater that opens up to a stunning view of Pat Neff Hall and the Baylor campus; and a high-tech and interactive experience designed to create interest and enthusiasm in the University.

In addition to EV charging stations at the Hurd Welcome Center, ProStar will install five additional Level 2 chargers around the Baylor campus over the next two years. The locations for those chargers will be determined by traffic patterns on campus, where students reside and how the campus is used throughout the year, McNair said.

Baylor provides a positive and holistic experience for its students and broader campus community, and EV charging stations will enhance offerings for those who own electric vehicles. By planning ahead and providing these services, the University continues to promote innovation alongside stewardship of resources.

"Just from a green initiative and sustainability efforts, we're proud about what that brings to campus," McNair said.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.

ABOUT PROSTAR ENERGY SOLUTIONS

ProStar Energy, a Jerry Jones Family-owned company, helped write the playbook for innovative energy solutions with the opening of AT&T Stadium by shifting energy from a required operating expense into new revenue streams and a means to achieve multiple business goals. This differentiating mindset, of seeing opportunity where others see obstacles, continues to drive ProStar and why we have a single-source, fully turnkey playbook for all your energy needs: LED retrofits, HVAC Optimization, Building Management Systems, Solar, EV Charging, Backup Battery, Sustainability Tracking, Utility Bill Pay, Energy Procurement, Finance/Incentive options and much more. As a result, ProStar has become a strategic and trusted advisor to organizations of all sizes and sectors across North America to help drive opportunities within the dynamic energy efficiency and sustainability sector.