Watts Up with Workplace Charging?

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Peggy O’Neill-Vivanco

According to McKinsey and Company, electric vehicle (EV) sales in the United States have grown 40% since 2016. For a number of years EVs were out of reach for many, but now it is more affordable than ever to buy an EV.¹ With federal tax credits, state and utility incentives, many EVs are on par with the price and performance of comparable gas-powered vehicles. However, charging infrastructure has lagged behind and many Americans cite charging and battery concerns as a reason for not switching to an electric car. According to a 2023 Workplace Charging Barrier Study by Cadeo Group, “workplace charging can alleviate range anxiety thereby encouraging EV adoption across diverse segments of population… and… can further ameliorate unequitable distribution of charging infrastructure when sited in underrepresented and overburdened communities.”²

Thanks to funding support from the U.S. Department of Energy, a new project takes insufficient charging infrastructure head on. Equitable Mobility Powering Opportunities for Workplace Electrification Readiness (or EMPOWER) is the first and only equity-focused, nationwide workplace charging program in the United States, and is led by Columbia-Willamette Clean Cities with East Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition, over 30 Department of Energy Clean Cities Coalitions, and industry partners. Vermont Clean Cities at UVM’s Transportation Research Center, Granite State Clean Cities and Maine Clean Communities Coalitions are leading the implementation of this national workplace charging alliance in our states by working to simplify the transition to EVs for all, by expanding charging infrastructure and by making charging convenient, accessible, and equitable.

Why focus on Workplace Charging?

Vermont and Granite State Clean Cities aim to address the electric charging speed bump through EMPOWER by providing technical assistance to help install EV chargers in workplaces across the Northern Tier of New England. One of EMPOWER’s specific goals is to ensure that 40% of the EV chargers installed will be at workplaces with historically underserved work forces. This includes workplaces owned by women or minorities, workplaces with majority-minority workforces, or with employees who live in areas which are rural, formerly redlined, low-income, or have low air quality. For states like Vermont and New Hampshire, our underserved communities include rural areas with higher energy burdens, increased commuting times, limited home charging opportunities, and limited broadband access. Further, there are areas in our communities with a high number of rental properties and multi-unit dwellings, where home charging is not always a viable option. Workplace charging can provide a convenient location and fueling flexibility for those without dedicated home charging, as well as mid-day charging to benefit workers with longer commutes.

Our goals with this project are to provide education and outreach activities to employers and employees on the benefits of workplace charging; provide survey tools, energy calculators and EV information to help identify employee charging needs and help employers find answers to their charging questions, and the right fit to their workplace charging needs. With a focus on energy and environmental justice and underserved communities, we aim to get pledges from 12 to 15 employers in each state to install workplace charging.

What’s in it for employers?

Vermont and Granite State Clean Cities staff can provide workplaces with free, direct technical assistance and consulting to help determine the best workplace charging plans for them – from hard-wired to off-grid, solar options. We can assist with assessing work sites for suitability and collecting information from employees to help determine interest and demand. We can provide resources and planning assistance for installation, signage creation, employee education, and company policy development. We can help connect organizations with utility partners, leading charging equipment manufacturers, certified installers, and other important vendors. We can provide information and updates on funding opportunities, and state and utility incentives that may offset the cost of purchase and installation Finally, we can provide statewide and national promotion of workplaces that help speed America’s transition to electric transportation.

As fleets begin the transition to electrification, workplace charging infrastructure can serve employees and fleet vehicles in the right situations. Employees can pay appropriate fees for access to charging at work during the day, and fleet vehicles can utilize charging in off-hours.

By pledging to install workplace charging, employers across our states can demonstrate their social and corporate leadership by supporting sustainable transportation options, expanding equitable access to EVs by providing charging to employees with no dedicated home charging and accelerating the U.S. federal target of net-zero emissions by 2050.

Peggy O’Neill-Vivanco is the Director of Vermont Clean Cities. To learn more about the EMPOWER project, contact O’Neill-Vivanco in Vermont (poneillv@uvm.edu), Jessica in New Hampshire (jessica.wilcox@des.nh.gov) or visit: https://www.workplacecharging.com/

Major project partners working with Vermont Clean Cities include Burlington Electric Department, Green Mountain Power, and Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission.

Major project partners in the Granite State include Eversource Energy, Liberty and Unitil.

¹ McKinsey and Company. “Building the Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure America Needs.” McKinsey and Company, October 2020. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-and-social-sector/our-insights/building-the-electric-vehicle-charging-infrastructure-america-needs.

² Workplace Charging Barrier Study. https://www.cadeogroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/EMPOWER_Workplace-charging-barrier-study_FINAL_16JUN23_website-1.pdf

Caption

White car charging Photo credit: NREL Image Gallery #61268 and iStockphoto #1209837227

Leaf charging Photo credit (Prius): NREL Image Gallery #51448