Tag Archives: Allen Grant

Charging Ahead

electric car chargingBy Robert Ferrin

The City of Columbus, Ohio, was the recipient of a $10 million Paul G. Allen Family Foundation Grant that’s purpose was to lay a practical path to replacing carbon-based fuel consumption and inspire action to protect and sustain the environment through decarbonization and electrification. One of Columbus’ five priorities through this electrification program is to increase the number of charging stations in the region by nearly 1,000 ports. To meet this goal, the team has been focused on creating programs and incentivizing the installation of chargers at both the workplace and at home, where the majority of electric vehicle (EV) charging happens; in fact, as much as 85 percent of EV charging happens at home.

The city created a rebate program to expand the charging network for those living in apartments and condominiums. The Smart Columbus team also created a playbook for those implementing chargers in multi-dwelling units, including the cost of deployment, the rebate program, and the unique challenges faced by installing chargers at these types of locations. Our hope is these resources will not only be applicable to the Columbus region but also to cities and town nationally.

For more information on this case study and or other Smart Columbus related projects please click here.

Robert Ferrin, is the assistant director for parking services with the City of Columbus, Ohio. This post comes from the work of the Electrification Working Group of IPMI’s Research & Innovation Task Force.