Scott announces program to subsidize electric vehicle charging stations for multi-unit housing

For Immediate Release
Thursday, January 13, 2022

Contact
Jason Maulucci, Press Secretary
Office of the Governor
Jason.Maulucci@vermont.gov

Nate Formalarie, Communications Director
Agency of Commerce and Community Development
Nate.formalarie@vermont.gov

Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott and the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) today launched the Multiunit Dwelling Electric Vehicle Charging Grant Program to bring more home-charging opportunities to Vermonters. $1,000,000 in funding is available to subsidize the cost of purchasing and installing Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations at rental properties to provide residents with at-home charging access.

The grant program is an interagency effort between DHCD, the Agency of Transportation, Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Public Service Department. Grants will be awarded up to $80,000 per site and $300,000 per applicant, with priority grant awards given to affordable housing projects.

“This program is another step towards electrifying the transportation sector,” said Governor Scott. “Ensuring Vermonters have access to home charging options will support the transition to electric vehicles, which will benefit the environment and reduce transportation costs for Vermonters.”

80% of EV charging is expected to take place at home, where cars are parked for long periods of time. Lack of at-home charging is one of the largest barriers to EV adoption for residents of multi-unit housing. This funding will help to overcome this barrier to EV adoption for residents of multi-unit housing by piloting EV charging solutions that provide convenient, reliable, and affordable access.
“Both the public and private sectors are making significant investments in EV technology and infrastructure. Vermont continues to be a leader in EV adoption, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and paving the way to a more sustainable transportation system,” said Joe Flynn, secretary of the Vermont Agency of Transportation.

While access to EV charging is not the only barrier to EV ownership among the renter population it will become increasingly important as the market for EVs matures. As EVs become more affordable, through market development, purchase incentives, and re-sale of used EVs, access to charging will be critical for all Vermonters.

“The EV market share has doubled over the last year, and this is just the start as more affordable models continue arriving in Vermont, availability of used EVs grows, and incentives bring down up-front costs,” said David Roberts, Drive Electric Vermont coordinator. “We are excited the program launching today will make it easier for Vermonters to make the switch to an EV by increasing availability of charging at multi-family properties.”

The deadline to apply is April 1, 2022. DHCD will host an informational webinar about the program on January 26, 2022, from 10:00-11:30 a.m. There is no registration needed to attend and you can access the webinar at this link.

For full details on the program visit: https://accd.vermont.gov/multiunit_dwelling

Image courtesy of Bruce Parker/TNR

4 thoughts on “Scott announces program to subsidize electric vehicle charging stations for multi-unit housing

  1. More money hand-outs to those connected to government.

    Crony capitalism is the first cousin to socialism.

  2. Get rid of all subsidies. If you can’t operate without subsidies you’re in a market that is too saturated or unfeasible. The problem is that subsidies have been given out for so long that cutting any subsidies will cause economic disruptions. The solution is not to creat new subsidies in other industries though. The medicine will taste bitter but is very much needed.

  3. The taxpayer is going to subsidize charging stations from which the operator can (and should) derive profit? I don’t recall that they subsidized gas stations – which were built as profit generating businesses. Another problem – Multi dwelling? GM has advised not charging their volt (or whatever it’s now called), maybe even not parking within fifty feet of another vehicle – or indoors. I’ve also read of Tesla fireballs. Recommended emergency response? You can’t extinguish it; it’s dangerous. Let it burn out. I doubt if, as these vehicles age, they’ll become safer. The technology necessary for electric cars is as old as motor vehicles but the technology for safe power storage is not currently adequate. We have a well
    developed and very functional personal transportation mode now – and estimates say we have as much as a six hundred year reserve of fossil fuels. We’ve gone from horse drawn wood-wheeled conveyance to today’s efficient, convenient rubber-tired chariots in a couple hundred years. I don’t doubt they will be ancient history in another two hundred years. When electric cars become practical and economically competitive, they will displace the cars we have now without government (taxpayers) subsidizing them; likewise the charging facilities.

    • It is amazing how intellectually far behind our so called leaders are. This assumes that multiple apartment dwellers will all have electric cars parked at their residence. Most people would buy a house before they bought an EV in Nordic weather Vermont.

      The safety as outlined in your comment isn’t even known by these subsidies providers. You see knowledge of a subject matters not to our fearless leaders. The only thing that matters now is who’s writing the campaign check for the next election cycle. Remember the phrase, “Taxation without representation”? The climate gods and the money religion have replaced actual representation of the people and unelected boards of political appointments continue to ignore the real problems. We are not represented, we are ruled over by crony capitalism and the climate religion.

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