BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced an investment of $50 million in initiatives to build out electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across Massachusetts. 

 

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds will increase access to charging infrastructure for more residents, electrify the state fleet, improve operation of public charging stations, manage the impact of charging infrastructure on the electric grid, and provide charging solutions for difficult to electrify vehicle types.  

 

"State and rideshare vehicles contribute a disproportionate amount of transportation emissions, so by investing in the electrification of these vehicles, we can have a much more cost-effective impact on emissions," said?Governor Maura Healey.?"Our administration is committed to leading by example in addressing climate change, and we are pleased that these funds will also allow Massachusetts to more quickly electrify its fleet." 

 

The $50 million in ARPA funds will support innovative EV technology programs at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), charging infrastructure investments for the state fleet through Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) and the Department of Energy Resources (DOER), testing equipment and staff at the Division of Standards (DOS) to conduct inspections of public charging stations, and future analysis of EV charging needs by the  Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Coordinating Council (EVICC).

 

"Vehicle emissions not only contribute significantly to climate change, but also impact public health, especially in environmental justice communities," said?Secretary for Energy and Environmental Affairs Rebecca Tepper.?"With this funding, the Healey-Driscoll Administration is creating more equitable access to clean transportation and ensuring drivers in all communities across Massachusetts have the option to choose an electric vehicle." 

 

The following initiatives will receive funding: 

 

MassCEC will work to help municipalities expand access to EV charging for residents with limited access to home charging, particularly in environmental justice and urban communities. Pole-mounted and streetlight chargers represent a promising strategy to use existing assets to expand access to curbside charging, but this potential is limited by barriers such as regulatory hurdles, complex ownership structures and unclear business and financial models. 

 

The project aims to increase the number of overnight curbside charging stations, including accessible pole-mounted and streetlamp EV charging solutions. A technical consultant will deploy on-street charging near multi-unit dwelling neighborhoods and provide guidance to municipalities for future implementation. 

 

Medium and Heavy-Duty (MDHD) vehicles make up 3 pecent of Massachusetts vehicles, yet produce 20 percent of on-road vehicle emissions, making their electrification critical to reaching the state's climate goals and to improve air quality in environmental justice communities, especially those near warehouses and ports. One major challenge to achieving electrification in this sector is project delays due to limits in grid infrastructure. Mobile charging represents a promising technology that could help fleet operators avoid delays and resist the urge to overbuild through temporary mobile charging solutions. MassCEC will complete a market characterization study paired with deployment projects to demonstrate mobile charging financial models and use cases.  

 

Uber, Lyft and taxi drivers drive a lot of miles, spend a lot of money on gasoline, and need a lot of charging. MassCEC will deploy EV charging to support the electrification of taxi and transportation network company (TNC) fleets. Electrification of this sector can help support the deployment of electric vehicles in urban areas and environmental justice communities. For example, studies in California show that while TNC drivers make up less than 3 percent of electric vehicle (EV) drivers, they account for over 40% of all public fast charger use. This project will fund level 2 and fast charging infrastructure projects with a focus on deploying charging resources in environmental justice communities, where a high percentage of TNC drivers reside.  

 

The widespread deployment of bidirectional technology would allow EV owners to use their car battery as a resource to reduce home energy costs or sell electricity onto the grid. V2X systems both charge and discharge an EV's battery, enabling EVs to act as a grid resource by sending energy stored in the onboard battery to the local utility grid or to a grid-connected asset such as a building. This would have the potential transform our relationship with the grid, providing EV drivers with a mobile source of storage and opening up potential revenue streams to support EV adoption for low-income drivers. MassCEC will complete a market characterization analysis and demonstration projects that support vehicle-to-grid and/or vehicle-to-building projects designed to reduce peak demand and provide grid services.  

 

DCAMM will seek to install fleet EV charging infrastructure in 60 or more high priority sites at state facilities. Each site would receive an average of 4 EV ports and 4 make-ready spots, making it easy to double the number of charging stations in the future. 

 

DOER will provide funding to other agencies to install fleet EV charging infrastructure at approximately 60 sites, focusing on those not on the high priority list, non-executive branch fleets, and leased facilities. 

 

DOS will purchase EV charging infrastructure testing equipment and hire staff to conduct inspections of public charging stations to ensure that they remain in working order and adhere to a common set of standards. 

 

This funding will support the analytical needs of the EVICC through the end of 2026 to help it continue to assess the current state of EV charging infrastructure and future needs of Massachusetts as it promotes the electrification of the transportation sector.