Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces $50 Million Investment in Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
Programs include a curbside charging pilot for renters, expanded charging infrastructure for the state fleet, support for TNC charging needs, and mobile chargers for medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles
BOSTON – The Healey-Driscoll
Administration today announced an investment of $50 million in initiatives to
build out electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across Massachusetts.
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds will increase access to charging
infrastructure for more residents, electrify the state fleet, improve operation
of public charging stations, manage the impact of charging infrastructure on
the electric grid, and provide charging solutions for difficult to electrify
vehicle types.
“State and rideshare vehicles
contribute a disproportionate amount of transportation emissions, so by
investing in the electrification of these vehicles, we can have a much more
cost-effective impact on emissions,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Our administration is
committed to leading by example in addressing climate change, and we are
pleased that these funds will also allow Massachusetts to more quickly
electrify its fleet.”
“Many Massachusetts drivers want to
make the switch to electric vehicles, but worry about access to charging,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “This investment will break
down barriers to widespread electric vehicle adoption and help Massachusetts
meet its ambitious greenhouse gas emissions targets.”
The $50 million in ARPA funds will
support innovative EV technology programs at the Massachusetts Clean Energy
Center (MassCEC), charging infrastructure investments for the state fleet
through Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) and the
Department of Energy Resources (DOER), testing equipment and staff at the
Division of Standards (DOS) to conduct inspections of public charging stations,
and future analysis of EV charging needs by the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure
Coordinating Council
(EVICC).
“Vehicle emissions not only contribute
significantly to climate change, but also impact public health, especially in
environmental justice communities,” said Secretary for Energy and Environmental
Affairs Rebecca Tepper. “With this funding, the Healey-Driscoll
Administration is creating more equitable access to clean transportation and
ensuring drivers in all communities across Massachusetts have the option to
choose an electric vehicle.”
“This funding will help make a bigger
impact in the lives of our residents across the state as it relates to the
future of transportation,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica
Tibbits-Nutt. “Taking the steps to increase measures like
fast-charging stations and decarbonization will position us to offer better
choices to residents that will be good for the environment and for us as we all
work to respond to climate change.”
“Decarbonization and addressing
climate change are core priorities of DCAMM’s operations,” said DCAMM
Commissioner Adam Baacke. “We are excited to be a part of this important
investment in EV charging infrastructure.”
“This significant investment from the
Healey-Driscoll Administration will help make the transition to electric
vehicles a more accessible and affordable opportunity for the Commonwealth’s
residents and business owners,” said MassCEC CEO Dr. Emily Reichert.
“These ARPA funds will directly impact our work to increase curbside charging
stations, expand mobile charging for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, speed up
the electrification of taxi and rideshare fleets, and advance emerging
technology that allows EV owners to use their car to power other
sources."
The following initiatives will receive
funding:
Electric Vehicle Curbside Parking for
Residents in Multi-Unit Dwellings - $12.5 million
MassCEC will work to help
municipalities expand access to EV charging for residents with limited access
to home charging, particularly in environmental justice and urban communities.
Pole-mounted and streetlight chargers represent a promising strategy to use
existing assets to expand access to curbside charging, but this potential is
limited by barriers such as regulatory hurdles, complex ownership structures
and unclear business and financial models.
The project aims to increase the
number of overnight curbside charging stations, including accessible
pole-mounted and streetlamp EV charging solutions. A technical consultant will
deploy on-street charging near multi-unit dwelling neighborhoods and provide
guidance to municipalities for future implementation.
Medium- and Heavy-Duty Electrification
Mobile Charging Solutions - $9.5 million
Medium and Heavy-Duty (MDHD) vehicles
make up 3% of Massachusetts vehicles, yet produce 20% of on-road vehicle
emissions, making their electrification critical to reaching the state’s
climate goals and to improve air quality in environmental justice communities,
especially those near warehouses and ports. One major challenge to achieving
electrification in this sector is project delays due to limits in grid
infrastructure. Mobile charging represents a promising technology that could
help fleet operators avoid delays and resist the urge to overbuild through
temporary mobile charging solutions. MassCEC will complete a market
characterization study paired with deployment projects to demonstrate mobile
charging financial models and use cases.
Ride-For-Hire Vehicle Electrification
Charging Solutions - $8 million
Uber, Lyft and taxi drivers drive a
lot of miles, spend a lot of money on gasoline, and need a lot of charging.
MassCEC will deploy EV charging to support the electrification of taxi and
transportation network company (TNC) fleets. Electrification of this sector can
help support the deployment of electric vehicles in urban areas and
environmental justice communities. For example, studies in California show that
while TNC drivers make up less than 3% of electric vehicle (EV) drivers, they
account for over 40% of all public fast charger use. This project will fund
level 2 and fast charging infrastructure projects with a focus on deploying
charging resources in environmental justice communities, where a high
percentage of TNC drivers reside.
Vehicle-To-Everything (V2X) Analysis
and Demonstration Projects - $8 million
The widespread deployment of
bidirectional technology would allow EV owners to use their car battery as a
resource to reduce home energy costs or sell electricity onto the grid. V2X
systems both charge and discharge an EV’s battery, enabling EVs to act as a
grid resource by sending energy stored in the onboard battery to the local
utility grid or to a grid-connected asset such as a building. This would have
the potential transform our relationship with the grid, providing EV drivers
with a mobile source of storage and opening up potential revenue streams to
support EV adoption for low-income drivers. MassCEC will complete a market
characterization analysis and demonstration projects that support
vehicle-to-grid and/or vehicle-to-building projects designed to reduce peak
demand and provide grid services.
EV Charging at Priority State
Facilities - $9.5 million
DCAMM will seek to install fleet EV
charging infrastructure in 60 or more high priority sites at state facilities.
Each site would receive an average of 4 EV ports and 4 make-ready spots, making
it easy to double the number of charging stations in the future.
EV Charging for Other State Vehicles -
$1.5 million
DOER will provide funding to other
agencies to install fleet EV charging infrastructure at approximately 60 sites,
focusing on those not on the high priority list, non-executive branch fleets,
and leased facilities.
EV Charging Testing Equipment –
$604,000
DOS will purchase EV charging
infrastructure testing equipment and hire staff to conduct inspections of
public charging stations to ensure that they remain in working order and adhere
to a common set of standards.
EV Charging Needs Analysis - $396,000
This funding will support the
analytical needs of the EVICC through the end of 2026 to help it continue to
assess the current state of EV charging infrastructure and future needs of
Massachusetts as it promotes the electrification of the transportation sector.
Background on Electric Vehicle
Infrastructure Coordinating Council
The EVICC was authorized by “An Act Driving Clean
Energy and Offshore Wind” in 2022. The Climate Law requires that the EVICC
assess and report on strategies and plans necessary to deploy electric vehicle
charging infrastructure to establish an equitable, interconnected, accessible
and reliable electric vehicle charging network. Since convening in May, the
EVICC has held 10 public meetings on state EV infrastructure strategy.
In August 2023, the EVICC submitted an
Initial Assessment to the Legislature which found that
approximately 10,000 publicly accessible fast charging ports will be necessary
to support the light-duty vehicle fleet by 2030, in addition to 35,000 publicly
accessible Level 2 stations and more than 700,000 residential and workplace
charging stations.
Earlier this year, the Administration expanded the Massachusetts Offers Rebates for
Electric Vehicles Program (MOR-EV Program), which provides rebates for the
purchase or lease of light-, medium-, and heavy-duty battery electric and fuel
cell electric vehicles (EVs). In addition to the existing $3,500 rebates for
EVs, the new MOR-EV program includes the rebates at the point-of-sale with
participating dealers, a $3,500 rebate for used EVs for income-qualifying
residents, a $1,500 rebate adder for income-qualifying residents called MOR-EV+
that is in addition to the standard rebate for new or used electric vehicles;
and increased rebates for certain light-duty pickup trucks.
“These initiatives tackle huge issues,
like the convenience of charging for condo and apartment dwellers, the greening
of Uber and Lyft, the task of keeping chargers in good working order, and the
electrification of heavy-duty trucks. Ambitious stuff,” said State
Senator Mike Barrett (D-Lexington), Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on
Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy.
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