The City of Brighton recently received the Community Leadership Award during the Drive Clean Colorado Stakeholder Awards Ceremony, which recognized outstanding contributions and achievements in the field of clean transportation. The ceremony was part of the 2025 Drive Clean Summit & Expo, an event that brought together more than 230 industry professionals, state agencies, municipalities, policymakers, and clean transportation advocates on Feb. 26 at the Englewood Civic Center.
Brighton was honored with the Community Leadership Award in appreciation of outstanding dedication to education, outreach, and advocacy to drive equitable clean transportation adoption. Traci McLean, sustainability coordinator for the City of Brighton, accepted the award on behalf of the city. McLean has led the city’s participation in the Charging Smart program since Brighton became the first municipality in Colorado to join in June 2024. The city is projected to achieve Bronze designation later this year.
“I strongly believe in the value of this program, and I am thrilled to be recognized for the important work we are doing to improve EV readiness across the community and advance consumer choice for residents,” said McLean. “The steps we are taking now will drive positive economic impacts across the community and prepare us to meet any regulatory requirements. It also allows us to do this work in a way that is proactive and based on the specific needs of our community.”
The Drive Clean Summit Expo featured expert-led discussions, explored an expo hall featuring dozens of exhibitors, and included a parking lot full of zero-emission vehicles, highlighting the latest in electric, hydrogen fuel cell, and renewable natural gas technologies.
“Clean transportation is an economic powerhouse,” said Bonnie Trowbridge, executive director for Drive Clean Colorado. “It creates jobs, provides efficiency and cost savings for fleets, boosts local economies, and honors our right to breathe clean air. Our team will be working with communities across the state – large and small, urban and rural – to support workforce development programs, educate about clean transportation options, and connect our stakeholders with resources and to one another for peer learning and encouragement. Here in Colorado, we are leading the charge.”
About Drive Clean Colorado, a Clean Cities and Communities Coalition
Drive Clean Colorado (DCC), a U.S. Department of Energy designated coalition in the Clean Cities and Communities partnership, is a non-profit organization that delivers a variety of programs to accelerate the equitable adoption of clean transportation with the vision of cleaner air and economic growth for Colorado. DCC runs projects such as the Drive Electric Colorado program, the Watts@Work initiative for workplace charging, and hosts four ReCharge coaches for the Colorado Energy Office to provide grant coaching and EV awareness outreach. Learn more at DriveCleanColorado.org.