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Charge Ahead Colorado Program Brings 41 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations to State

Press Release

Charge Ahead Colorado — a program formed in partnership by the Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) and the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) to improve air quality and encourage the deployment of electric vehicles — has awarded 13 public entities and two not-for-profit organizations with grant funding to support the purchase of electric vehicles (EVs) and the expansion of EV infrastructure. Overall, the program will provide financial support for the purchase of 10 EV fleet vehicles and the construction of 41 new EV charging stations across the state.

The following entities have received funding from Charge Ahead Colorado:

  • American Lung Association
  • City of Arvada
  • City of Aurora
  • City of Boulder
  • City of Colorado Springs
  • City and County of Denver, Department of Environmental Health
  • City of Durango
  • City of Fort Collins
  • City of Golden
  • City of Lafayette
  • City of Lakewood
  • City of Loveland
  • International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW-68)
  • Pueblo County
  • Town of Carbondale

A list of projects and descriptions may be found here.

The new charging stations supported by the Charge Ahead Colorado Program will increase the total public charging stations in the state from 79 to 116. The 37 public EV charging stations being installed under the program will be placed in easily accessible locations such as court houses and transit centers. Many of them will offer free charging, or allow free charging when regular parking fees are paid.  The additional four private charging stations will allow local governments and other entities to expand the use of EV in their fleets.

“While the number of public and private fleets and individuals interested in electric vehicles has grown in recent years, many have questioned whether there are enough charging stations to truly serve EV drivers,” said Ken Lloyd, executive director of the RAQC.  “We are pleased to be partnering with CEO to offer funding that will help to alleviate these concerns and expand EV infrastructure to support the further adoption of EVs in the metro area and across the state. Our air quality will definitely benefit.”

Charge Ahead Colorado is made possible by two separate funding sources: 1. a federal Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality (CMAQ) grant awarded to the RAQC by the Federal Highway Administration and administered through the Denver Regional Council of Governments and the Colorado Department of Transportation, and 2. Colorado’s state legislature, who in 2009 established a fund within the CEO to administer grants to local governments for electric vehicle infrastructure. The program directly contributes to the RAQC’s efforts to improve the air quality in the seven-county Denver Metro region and CEO’s efforts to continue the upward trend of innovation in the diversity of transportation fuels in Colorado.

“Electric vehicles are a key component of Colorado’s effort to diversify our transportation fuels mix,” said Tom Hunt, Policy Programs Manager at the Colorado Energy Office.  “We are happy to work with the RAQC and our local government partners to remove barriers to EV adoption by expanding access to charging stations.”

The RAQC has opened an additional opportunity for funding for EV and EV infrastructure that will close on July 1, 2013. Interested applicants are encouraged to visit www.cleanairfleets.org for more information.