Probably Don't Need/Wouldn't Want a Charging Station Here

Probably Don't Need/Wouldn't Want a Charging Station Here

Before and after National Plug In Day seems to be the right time to announce statewide plug-in initiatives.  California did it by announcing it passed 6 bills related to plug-in vehicles.  Now, Vermont is doing it by announcing the passage of two charging station initiatives.

But in Cities Like Burlington, VT A Few More Chargers Would be Appreciated

But in Cities Like Burlington, VT A Few More Chargers Would be Appreciated

Though Vermont's bill aren't as big as those signed in California, it's interesting to see that, even with only a limited number of plug-in vehicles statewide, Vermont is already ensuring its plugged-in future.

Here's a basic rundown of the 2 initiatives passed in Vermont:

  • The first initiative expands the State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) loan program administered by the Vermont Economic Development Agency (VEDA). Under the SIB program, municipalities and businesses can obtain loans for the construction and installation of EV charging stations at a fixed interest rate of 1%.
  • The second initiative provides financial resources for electric vehicle charging stations in Vermont’s designated downtowns.  Jointly developed by the Agency of Natural Resources and the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, this initiative provides matching grants to build a statewide network of municipal publicly accessible charging stations within Vermont’s 24 Designated Downtowns. The program will fund 75% of the cost of installing electric vehicle charging stations in eligible areas.
As we mentioned above, it's interesting to note that Vermont is currently home to only 300 or so plug-in vehicles.  This figure is expected to rise rapidly and, as such, Vermont wants to be ready for the influx of plug-in vehicles.