Overview
Electric vehicles (EVs) are receiving a great deal of attention in the media, and waiting lists for the Tesla Roadster, Chevy Volt, and Nissan Leaf are growing as consumer demand takes off. But before EVs can be broadly adopted, a charging infrastructure needs to be in place. If mass adoption of EVs is only a few years off, then that infrastructure needs to be built now.
To address this problem, many businesses and municipalities around the U.S. have begun installing EV charging stations to provide support for their employees and citizens. But economic conditions make infrastructure investment difficult for many cities.
There are many questions that need to be answered before a municipality can justify investing in this new economic infrastructure. These questions include:
Why does my city need EV charging stations?What benefit do they provide to citizens?Should we wait for private businesses to install them?What do charging stations cost to install and maintain?Will we see future tax revenue from EVs?Where should charging stations be located?What kind of permitting processes are required?What partnerships do we need to establish with local utilities?This online briefing reviews the decision-making process for municipalities interested in EV infrastructure. It starts with a discussion of regional transportation strategies and how individual cities can help support long-term sustainable goals.
Anne Hunt, environmental policy director for the City of St. Paul, Minnesota, discusses the business case for municipal investment in EV infrastructure, including stakeholder buy-in and funding strategies. She talks about the benefits of this investment to city government, citizens, and the local economy. She also talks about the cost structure of the program St. Paul adopted and how they were able to justify the expense.
Anne is joined by St. Paul Senior City Planner Merritt Clapp-Smith, who discusses the practical steps for implementation, including urban planning issues, developing utility partnerships, and developing supporting permitting processes. The need for smart planning is critical, as placement of the charging stations could determine whether local citizens decide to personally invest in EVs. Clear permitting processes are required to ensure smooth support for future private EV charging station investment. And direct partnerships with local utilities are necessary to ensure that the charging stations work reliably and cause no disruption to local electricity supply.
Don Bray, briefing moderator and president of AltaTerra Research, gives a brief overview of EV technology and trends.
Time will be reserved at the end of the session for questions and moderated discussion.
Key Takeaways
Understand the key factors a municipality must examine in determining whether to invest in EV charging stations.Build a business case for investment in EV infrastructure in your own municipality.Learn which departments within your municipality must be coordinated to support the investment. Outline departmental roles in EV infrastructure support.Use the slides from this briefing in building your case to key stakeholders within your organization.Solutions for Sustainable Cities: Online Briefing Series
This online briefing is the third in the three-part series "Solutions for Sustainable Cities: Clean Technologies in Municipal Practice." The other briefings in the series include:
* Managing Energy and Emissions for Systematic Savings
* Renewable Energy Program Successes and Challenges
You may register for each briefing individually, or register for the entire series at a significant savings. To find out more about the series, please go to www.altaterra.net/event/sustainablecities.
Who Should Attend
Professionals in:
* Municipal Infrastructure
* Municipal Environmental Policy
* Municipal Fleet Management
* Urban Planning
* Electric Vehicle Infrastructure
* Electric Vehicle Suppliers and Manufacturers
* Electric Utility-Municipal Relations
Name: Anneke Hohl
Email: anneke.hohl@altaterra.net
Phone: 720-989-1640
Website: Solutions for Sustainable Cities: Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Planning and Deployment
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