Montgomery was one of five counties to be awarded the most funds — $303,182 — joining Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton and Summit with that amount in a move the state EPA said will help increase access for Ohioans to publicly available Level 2 EV charging ports.
The new stations help quell “range anxiety,” a common concern for potential electric vehicle buyers that their automobiles “could run out of battery charge while out and about,” according to Matt Lindsay of the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission.
“Having more locations to charge spread out across the region can reassure drivers that electric vehicles can serve their transportation needs,” he added.
Nearly 5.4 million hybrid electric vehicles and more than 1.4 million plug-in electric vehicles have sold since they came on the market in 1999 and 2010, respectively, according to usafacts.org.
That number is expected to grow in the future, officials said.
All but two of the 18 applications submitted by the MVPRC for Greene, Montgomery and Warren counties were approved for either full or partial funding, according to Lindsay.
One proposal each by Centerville and Kettering did not make the list, records show.
Six sites in Dayton were picked, topping by one each the number of locations chosen from Greene and Warren counties.
“EV drivers will have more choices when they come to downtown Dayton and will have less distance to walk while their vehicle is recharging,” City Sustainability Manager Mark Charles said in an email.
Dayton will get funds for all the chargers it sought with officials expecting to receive money and begin installations later this spring, he added.
When stations in other communities will be installed isn’t clear, but typically grant recipients have up to two years to complete their projects, according to the Ohio EPA.
Two sites each were picked in Bellbrook, Centerville, Fairborn, Huber Heights, Kettering, Lebanon and Washington Twp., records show.
Kettering sites do not include the city’s government center. But the city’s other two choices — the Kettering Recreation Complex and Delco Park — were selected.
“We’re excited that they agreed to fund the project as much as they did,” Kettering Assistant City Manager Steve Bergstresser said. “I think it’s definitely going to be beneficial for the Greater Dayton community.”
The state awarded Kettering $45,000 total, records show.
Only Cuyahoga (22) and Hamilton (20) counties topped Montgomery’s 19 for sites funded among the 22 counties awarded money, which the OEPA said comes from Ohio’s share from a court case involving Volkswagen.
The amount for the local projects ranges from $4,048 for Washington Twp. to $30,000 each for projects in Fairborn, Franklin, Mason and Xenia.
Centerville received $15,000 — full funding — for a new dual-port charging station at the city building but its Uptown site was not selected, Centerville Communications Director Kate Bostdorff. The other Centerville site picked was Miami Valley Hospital South.
Dayton, Charles said, partnered with Electrada LLC, a business launched in Cincinnati in 2020 to meet the growing demand for EV charging infrastructure, according to the company’s website.
Dayton is working to add more stations “in areas where people have a reason to gather or linger, including Levitt Pavilion, the Arcade, Day One Ballpark,” according to Charles.
“We expect to cover additional sites in subsequent applications,” he said.
STATE FUNDS
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has announced nearly $3.25 million in funding for electric vehicle charging stations in the state. Most local applications were submitted by the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission and the Ohio Department of Transportation.
APPLICANT SITE AMOUNT
GREENE COUNTY
MVRPC City parking lot, Xenia $30,000
MVRPC Shoppes at Valle Greene, Fairborn $30,000
MVRPC Community Library, Fairborn $15,000
MVRPC Administration Building, Bellbrook $15,000
MVRPC Winters-Bellbrook Library, Bellbrook $15,000
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Blink Charging Co. Comfort Suites, Miamisburg $10,000
Electrada LLC Dayton Art Institute, Dayton $14,134
Electrada LLC Oregon District parking lot, Dayton $14,184
Electrada LLC E. 2nd Street, Dayton $12,325
Electrada LLC E. 4th Street, Dayton $12,325
Electrada LLC E. Monument Avenue, Dayton $12,325
Five Rivers MetroParks 2nd Street Market, Dayton $22,500
Miami Valley Hospital MVH South, Centerville $22,500
MVRPC The Point, West Carrollton $15,000
MVRPC Thomas A. Cloud, Huber Heights $15,000
MVRPC Kettering Recreation Complex $22,500
MVRPC Delco Park, Kettering $22,500
MVRPC Austin Landing, Miami Twp. $22,500
MVRPC Centerville Administration Building $15,000
MVRPC Rose Music Center, Huber Heights $22,500
MVRPC Washington Twp. Recreation Center $15,000
MVRPC Orchard Avenue city lot, Oakwood $15,000
MVRPC Washington Twp. Admin Building $4,048
ODOT ODOT District 7 garage $13,841
WARREN COUNTY
Lebanon Electric Administration Building $15,000
Waterstone LLC DS Waterstone LLC, Mason $30,000
MVRPC Franklin Administration Building $30,000
ODOT Caesar Creek State Park, Waynesville $27,682
ODOT ODOT District 8 HQ, Lebanon $15,000
SOURCE: Ohio EPA.
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