Item:
Title
Acceptance of $26,149.00 CFAT Grant to the Engineering and Environmental Services Department Supporting Replacement of Nine Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: August 12, 2019
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to accept a grant of $26,149 from the Clean Fuel Advanced Technology (CFAT) program to replace nine electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) used by the public.
In 2012, The County installed 12 Eaton EVCS at 5 locations. Since that time, use of the stations has steadily grown as more people purchase EVs. Eaton no longer supports these stations or provides new parts and they are not compatible with all new electric vehicles. One of the stations in the Human Services parking lot does not work at all.
The Sustainability Office applied for funding to replace the stations through the Clean Fuel Advanced Technology (CFAT) program and was awarded $26,149. This grant requires costshare so the County partnered with ChargePoint, one of the leading EVCS companies in the country. ChargePoint will provide the equipment and installation at a discount, providing more than $40,000 in costshare for the project. This is a reimbursement grant, so Durham County will pay the discounted cost upfront and receive $26,149 back from CFAT. The total cost to Durham County after the rebate is $2,849.
The new stations will each have two ports instead of the current one port per station, thus allowing for more vehicles to use the stations at the same time. These stations are fully networked so users can find them, staff can see data and manage the stations remotely, and ChargePoint staff can diagnose problems remotely.
Station that will be replaced:
• Durham County Courthouse parking deck - 510 S Dillard St (4 stations)
• South Regional Library - 4505 S Alston Ave (2 stations)
• North Regional Library - 221 Milton Road (2 stations)
• Health and Human Services (401 E Main St) (1 station)
ChargePoint stations are networked and there is an annual cost for that service. The first year’s cost is included in the project, but future years will have to be included in the County’s budget. If the County is not charging visitors to use the stations, then the cost is $120 per station ($1,080) per year. If the County decides to charge visitors to use the stations, the cost for that connectivity and for processing the payments is $560/station ($5,040) per year. Staff recommends not charging visitors the first two years while we gather data on use and then consider charging a fee in year three. At that time there will be sufficient data to determine if the fees will cover the connectivity costs. Therefore, the cost in the FY21 would be $1,080.
Alignment with Strategic Plan: This item aligns with Strategic Plan Goal 4 (Environmental Stewardship and Community Prosperity), and Goal 5 (Accountable, Efficient, and Visionary Government).
Resource Persons: Tobin L. Freid, Sustainability Manager; Peri Manns, Interim Director of Engineering and Environmental Services
County Manager’s Recommendation: The County Manager recommends that the Board accept a grant of $26,149 from the Clean Fuel Advanced Technology (CFAT) program to replace nine electric vehicle charging stations used by the public.
Signature
County Manager: ____________________________