ODOT release – Electric vehicle drivers should see about 370 new public “Level 2” EV charging ports in communities across the state in 2024 thanks to the first funding round from our new Community Charging Rebates program. The rebates program reimburses some of the project costs of buying and installing Level 2 EV chargers at multifamily homes and publicly accessible parking areas. The program’s first funding round ran June-October this year and had $1.75 million available. We awarded every dollar of funding! Quick facts about the awarded projects: Total projects awarded funding: 94. Awarded projects in rural or disadvantaged communities: 79. Oregon counties with at least one awarded project: 23. Estimated total new Level 2 charging ports after all projects complete: 370. We launched the Community Charging Rebates program in June 2023. The rebates range from $4,250-$5,500 per charging port or up to 75% of eligible project costs, whichever is less. Eligible businesses, nonprofits, public entities, Tribes, and multifamily home complexes may apply. Seventy percent of first-round funding was reserved for projects in rural areas and disadvantaged communities, where gaps in public EV charging infrastructure are largest. We plan to launch a second funding round in early March 2024. More details about this are coming soon. We owe part of the program’s success to Forth, an electrification nonprofit based in Portland. They helped us with community outreach, ran webinars, and answered questions from applicants. We look forward to continuing our partnership with them for the second funding round in 2024. You can learn more about the rebates program on our webpage: ODOT Community Charging Rebates program. If you have questions about the program or application process, contact Forth: ODOTchargingrebates@forthmobility.org.
