Boulder County awarded $4.9 million for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
EDITOR’S NOTES: While Town of Lyons is included in the notes at the bottom that list what entities participating in this request for funding, the staff are not aware of the details yet. We asked the Town Administrator Simonsen and the Engineer, Building and Utilities director Caplan for information. === Aaron Caplan replied: I’ve not seen that specific grant for EV. We did support a private company who put forward a grant through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program (NEVI Program). The company was awarded their grant, and we are waiting for the next step. Basically the Town will be leasing the land for the private company to put in EV.
Federal grant will fund public charging stations,
prioritizing apartments,
mobile home communities,
and rural areas.
Boulder County, CO, January 11, 2024 — Boulder County has been selected to receive $4.9 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to increase public access to electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. The county sought this funding to support the switch to electric vehicles and reduce carbon pollution.
U.S. Representative Joe Neguse as well as U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet welcomed the announcement from USDOT. The nearly $5 million in funding comes from the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Program, which aims to expand public access to alternative vehicle fueling — like EV charging — across the country. The program is a part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, commonly referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The transportation sector is the biggest source of carbon pollution in Colorado — meaning new infrastructure is a significant step towards achieving Boulder County’s emissions reductions goals, which call for an 80% reduction over 2021 levels by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2035.
The grant will fund public EV charging stations in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, rural areas, and communities with high densities of multifamily units. Funding will support both Fast Chargers, sometimes referred to as Level 3 chargers, which can charge a typical EV to 80% in 30 minutes, and Level 2 chargers, which add roughly 10-20 miles of range per hour of charge.
“Investing in energy saving, effective, and green infrastructure for the long run is vital to tackling the climate crisis and protecting Coloradans,” said U.S. Representative Joe Neguse.
Boulder County Commissioner Claire Levy said, “This achievement reflects the strength of our partnerships across municipalities, non-profits, state agencies, and utilities. By prioritizing public EV charging installations in rural, multi-family, and low-income neighborhoods, we’re not just building infrastructure — we’re fostering a community-wide transformation towards a resilient and accessible future.”
Led by Boulder County, the Charge Up Boulder County grant application was a collaborative effort with towns and cities across the county, six non-profits, two state agencies, and three utility companies. The City of Boulder further supported this work through a $100,000 funding match.
“Vehicle electrification and a robust charging network play a huge role in Boulder County’s vision for an equitable, zero-carbon transportation future,” said Lea Yancey, Boulder County Senior Sustainability Strategist. “Charge Up Boulder County, which came together with tremendous support from our partners, will significantly reduce barriers to EV ownership for community members who don’t have the charging services they need.”
Approximately one-third of Boulder County residents live in multi-family homes, where EV charging can be challenging. Alongside other incentives, this targeted expansion of public charging will reduce barriers to EV ownership and cut toxic air pollutants like nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and more.
Boulder County has long been a leader in EV adoption. A recent study from the U.S. Department of Energy found that Boulder County has the fifth-highest EV adoption rate of all U.S. counties, and the highest outside of California. With this new funding, Boulder County can ensure even more community members have the opportunity to go electric.
About Charge Up Boulder County: Better Access for EV Charging
This grant application was led by Boulder County’s Office of Sustainability, Climate Action & Resilience in partnership with the City of Boulder, the Town of Erie, the City of Lafayette, the City of Longmont, the City of Louisville, the Town of Lyons, the Town of Nederland, the Town of Superior, the Colorado Energy Office, the Colorado Department of Transportation, Xcel Energy, Longmont Power & Communications, United Power, Drive Clean Colorado, Boulder Transportation Connections, the Latino Chamber of Commerce of Boulder County, Boulder County Housing Authority, Boulder Housing Partners, Energy Outreach Colorado, Colorado Carshare, and the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project.