The city of Portland has entered into a 10-year agreement with a national company that will install, operate and maintain more than 40 electric vehicle charging stations on publicly owned property.
The City Council voted unanimously this week to approve a charging network provider agreement with EVgo, a company that operates more than 800 charging stations in 34 states and the District of Columbia.
EVgo will install as many as 44 Level-2 chargers and four DC fast chargers in Portland, the city said in a release. The four DC fast chargers and at least 12 of the Level 2 chargers must be installed by Dec. 23, 2022.
EVgo will start to install the 48 charging stations this spring and maintain them for 10 years. Additional charging hubs will be installed over the next 18 months. EVgo said it will help the city market the charging station network and will provide a 20 percent discount for city-owned vehicles.
Initially, all fees collected at the charging stations will go to EVgo, city spokesperson Jessica Grondin said in an email Thursday evening. After five years the city has the option of taking ownership of the Level-2 charging stations, which would allow the city to set the prices and receive the revenues.
EVgo will pay the city a monthly $4,400 access fee for the four DC fast chargers. That fee will be reduced as the company builds out its charging network to include the 44 Level-2 chargers. Grondin said that will allow the city to create a substantial EV charging network in Portland without cost to the city.
Grondin said the agreement requires EVgo to charge a commercially reasonable fee to users.
“Energy prices and electricity tariffs change so it is difficult to establish a fixed price. City staff will monitor EVgo’s prices to ensure they are fair and reasonable,” Grondin said.
The agreement comes as the Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to an unprecedented rise in gasoline and heating oil prices.
The number of charging stations in Portland increased from 150 in January 2021 to more than 250 the following June, the city reported last year. But officials have said more public charging stations are needed because the city is home to a large number of renters and condominium dwellers who may not have access to a charging station where they live.
“Many people will be reluctant to purchase an electric vehicle unless they have a convenient way to charge it,” Troy Moon, Portland’s sustainability director, said in a statement after the council’s 9-0 vote. “That’s especially true for people who live in apartments or condominiums. That’s why we’re excited to partner with EVgo to bring a network of DC fast chargers and Level 2 chargers to Portland. No matter where you live or work in Portland, there will be a charger nearby so you can confidently drive electric.”
The city said the Level-2 chargers will be installed in neighborhoods so electric vehicle owners can plug in and walk to their homes. The DC fast chargers will be installed in busier parts of the city, such as the Old Port and waterfront, for use by visitors and residents. Level-2 chargers take six or more hours to fully charge a vehicle while the DC fast chargers can add 300 miles of range in about 30 minutes, according to the city.
The city estimates that the transportation sector accounts for about 30 percent of its carbon emissions each year. Helping residents and businesses transition from internal combustion to electric vehicles will play an important role in reducing these emissions and achieving the city’s climate goals.
The new network calls for two DC fast charging stations in the parking lot at Spring and High streets; two on Commercial Street near Brown’s Wharf; four Level-2 charging stations in the Reiche School parking lot on Brackett Street; four Level-2 stations in the East End School parking lot on North Street; and four Level-2 stations in the Deering Oaks parking lot on State Street. The chargers in the school parking lots will be available for public use when school is not in session.
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