Charging Forward: Mr. Grant Money & the EV Revolution in Tulsa
🎩 Summary Notes
In Tulsa, Oklahoma—a city known for oil fields and racial wounds—a coalition of visionary leaders launches a bold clean-energy project: Tulsa ChargeNet, a decentralized EV charging network rooted in equity, justice, and community ownership. With historically underserved neighborhoods like North and East Tulsa still without a single fast charger, sustainability wasn’t just a trend—it was a civil right.
Enter Mr. Grant Money.
With just weeks until the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) grant deadline, Mr. Grant Money reengineers a tired proposal into a transformative funding narrative. The result? $7.2 million in full federal funding and a blueprint for green mobility in red-state America.
☞☞ Click here to read the full blog post!! ⚡🚗🌱
⚜️ Key Themes
🔹 Sustainability Meets Justice
Tulsa ChargeNet wasn’t just about chargers—it was about:
✅ Air quality
✅ Public health
✅ Workforce equity
✅ Infrastructure as reparation
By placing chargers in church lots, clinics, and tribal centers, the city didn’t just expand access—it rewired the system.
🔹 Stories That Shift Systems
Data made the case. But stories made it stick:
📍 A gig worker forced to park miles away to recharge
📍 Native youth with no access to clean transit
📍 Maps showing ER asthma visits, not just charger deserts
It wasn’t about selling tech. It was about telling truth.
🔹 Justice40 in Action
Mr. Grant Money’s strategy stacked:
📊 Federal data alignment (Justice40, emissions cuts)
💼 Workforce training (Tulsa Tech-led certification)
🌐 Philanthropic partners to reduce Tulsa’s match burden
Result: A movement in a PDF—and a city reimagined.
⚜️ Discussion Questions
💬 Legacy Reimagined
How can other cities turn industries of the past into platforms for a sustainable future?
💬 Who Owns the Infrastructure?
What’s the role of government vs. community vs. startups in building green mobility?
💬 Barriers to Access
Where in your neighborhood is clean innovation missing—and who’s most impacted?
💬 Funding = Story + Strategy
What narratives could unlock dormant grant opportunities near you?
💬 Call in the Closer
If Mr. Grant Money came to your town—what bold, overdue project would you pitch?
⚜️ Action Steps for Change Agents
✅ Identify underfunded mobility gaps in your city
✅ Partner with local orgs + community historians
✅ Layer emissions data with real-life stories
✅ Use federal portals to track equity-based funding (e.g., CFI, Justice40)
✅ Hire or consult a grant strategist who knows how to make the math sing
⚜️ Reflection
Tulsa didn’t just get chargers—it got credibility, community hiring, and a national spotlight. It stopped waiting for change and funded its own future.
When the federal reviewers saw the proposal, they didn’t just see stations—they saw a story that wouldn’t be denied.
So, what city’s waiting to breathe again?
What charger is waiting to power more than a car?
You bring the blueprint.
Mr. Grant Money will bring the spark.
