Unplugged: future of Rico's only public EV charger uncertain due to annual lease expense
Unplugged: future of Rico's only public EV charger uncertain due to annual lease expense
5-year grant ended Jan. 2024
-
Rico excluded from U.S. & Colo. preferred fast-charging corridors.
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top photo
electric vehicle charger at Rico Town Hall
Ore Cart - January 20, 2024
In this report
- Chargepoint new 2024 fee adds to EV charger operating expense
- National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Plan does not include Rico
- Colorado EV Fast-Charging Corridors do not include Rico
- U.S. EV sales grew to more than 1 million in 2023
- Fast, slow and slower: three types of EV chargers
- Number of electric vehicles in Colorado & eastern Dolores County
- ReCharge Colorado regional “coaches” help local areas install EV chargers
- Colorado Level 2 and DC Fast Charger grants available
- EV charger incentive funds available from SMPA's wholesale power supplier
- Colorado electric cooperatives install DC fast chargers
1) Chargepoint new 2024 fee adds to EV charger operating expense
The Level 2 electric vehicle charger at Town Hall will remain disconnected until funding to pay the annual lease fee is obtained, or until a new home for Rico's only public EV charger is found.
“We just got an invoice from Chargepoint for $2,200 for the leasing fee of the charging station, explained Town Manager Chauncey McCarthy during the January 17, 2024 Rico Board of Trustees meeting. “We did let them know we want to terminate our contract and have the State take delivery of the (charging) station and maybe get it down to the gas station. Even if we bill 10 cents per kilowatthour more than what we pay, we still would never pay off the cost that fee.”
A grant provided by the State of Colorado which paid for the EV charger installation also pre-paid the annual lease fee for the first five years.
“Something we should keep in mind when we take free money thinking there’s nothing to lose,” commented Trustee Pat Fallon, “there’s always something to lose."
2) National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Plan does not include Rico
Established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) formula program funding will provide $5 billion over five years for states to deploy electric vehicle (EV) chargers along highway corridors. . . . Colorado is expected to receive $57 million over the next five years to create an EV charging network across the state.
Source:
National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Plan↗
Colorado Department of Transportation
3) Colorado EV Fast-Charging Corridors do not include Rico
Developed in partnership with ChargePoint and site hosts, such as local governments, utilities and private companies, the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) fast-charging electric vehicle corridors project comprises high-speed charging stations to be installed at 34 locations across the state.
In Spring 2018, the Colorado Energy Office launched the Electric Vehicle (EV) Fast-Charging Corridors infrastructure grant program. This program directly addresses Action #1 in the Colorado Electric Vehicle Plan↗: Build out Colorado’s EV fast-charging infrastructure through public-private partnerships and in coordination with other programs.
In November 2018, Gov. Hickenlooper and Colorado Energy Office awarded a $10.33 million grant to ChargePoint to build electric vehicle fast-charging stations across the state↗. The fast-charging stations will be located in communities at 34 sites across six corridors comprising Interstate, State and U.S. Highways - see map above. Once complete, these stations will allow Coloradans to drive anywhere in the state in an electric vehicle.
This grant also helps implement Colorado's Beneficiary Mitigation Plan↗ and the State’s commitment to the multi-state Regional Electric Vehicle West Memorandum of Understanding↗.
Source:
EV Fast-Charging Corridors↗
Colorado Energy Office
December 2023
4) U.S. EV sales grew to more than 1 million in 2023
Source:
U.S. Department of Energy
Vehicle Technologies Office↗
January 29, 2024
5) Fast, slow and slower: three types of EV chargers
Public EV charger at Rico Town Hall capacity is Level 2 (green section in chart above). The electrical capacity rating is 6.5 kiloWatts (KW). At full output, this EV charger will add 6.5 kiloWatt-hours (KWhr) of charge per hour of charging session, adding 19.5 miles of range at 3 miles per KWhr for a typical EV sedan.
adapted from:
U.S. Department of Energy
Alternative Fuels Data Center↗
6) Number of electric vehicles in Colorado & eastern Dolores County
Source: Colorado Energy Office
EVs in Colorado Dashboard
EvaluateCO map tool↗
January 7, 2024
7) ReCharge Colorado regional “coaches” help local areas install EV chargers
The Colorado Energy Office ReCharge Colorado program works to advance the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and installation of charging infrastructure across the state. . . . ReCharge Coaches provide coaching services for EVs and infrastructure development in every county in the state.
ReCharge Coaches help consumers, local governments, workplaces and multi-unit housing developments identify monetary savings, grant opportunities and other advantages related to deploying EVs and charging infrastructure. ReCharge Coaches help build local stakeholder support for EV adoption and leverage these networks to drive EV sales and participation in available funding opportunities.
Charging Stations & Grant Opportunities
ReCharge Coaches help explain engineering and design requirements needed to develop charging stations. ReCharge Coaches also help drive participation in state and partner programs such as Charge Ahead Colorado.
Consumers, Business Owners & Local Governments
ReCharge Coaches help business owners, government leaders and consumers understand the financial, environmental, economic development and energy security advantages of EVs. By working with Colorado communities, ReCharge Coaches help create an ecosystem of broad support and resources necessary for a successful transition to EVs.
RECHARGE COLORADO - SOUTHWEST
Four Corners Office for Resource Efficiency (4CORE) ↗
Counties served: Alamosa, Archuleta, Conejos, Costilla, Dolores, La Plata, Mineral, Montezuma, Rio Grande, Saguache, San Juan, San Miguel
8) Colorado Level 2 and DC Fast Charger grants available
Charge Ahead Colorado provides grant funding for community-based Level 2 (L2) and DC fast-charging (DCFC) electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. The objectives of Charge Ahead Colorado are to improve air quality, reduce transportation emissions, and increase adoption of electric vehicles across Colorado.
source:
Charge Ahead Colorado↗
. . .
Charge Ahead Colorado grants for fast-charging stations is up to $50,00 for single-port, $70,000 for dual-ports.
The recent grant application cycle ended February 16, 2024 at 5:00 PM MT. Colorado Energy Office anticipates awarding approximately $3M total during this round.
9) EV charger incentive funds available from SMPA's from wholesale power supplier
Electric vehicle DC fast charger near Telluride, Colorado
Ore Cart photo
. . .
Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association↗ (TSGT) is the wholesale power supplier for 42 electric cooperatives in Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and Nebraska. TSGT offers $45,000 to these “member systems” to help fund installation of electric vehicle chargers:
EV Infrastructure Funds - Each Tri-State member system is eligible for up to $45,000 to use for the purchase and installation of public EV chargers in their communities.
EV Charger Rebates - Tri-State offers rebates for residential and commercial installations, ranging from $500 to $7,500 for the purchase and installation of EV chargers. A consumer member who installs a Level 2 charger (which is a 240-volt outlet like those used for electric dryers) is eligible for up to a $500 rebate for a residential installation or up to $1,000 for a publicly available Level 2 installation. Rebates are available for up to $7,500 for the installation of a publicly-available DC Fast Charger.
Source: Electric Vehicles in Colorado:
How Tri-State is Helping Members Transition↗
Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association
. . .
Rico Ore Cart inquired by email January 30, 2024 to San Miguel Power about the TSGT EV charger incentive. SMPA replied the next day: “SMPA has exhausted our $45,000 from Tri-State. The monies went to the Ridgway School project and the Society Conoco project.”
10) Colorado electric cooperatives install DC fast chargers
[Links]
HIghline Electric Association
Gunnison County Electric Association
San Luis Valley Rural Electric Association
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