Eversource Launches Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Program

Electric vehicle (EV) owners will experience one less obstacle as they hit the road in Massachusetts thanks to Eversource. The company is partnering with businesses and municipalities to install new EV charging stations throughout the Commonwealth – and paying for 50-90 percent of the installation costs, an expense of thousands of dollars traditionally borne by the site owner.

For retailers, an EV charging station at your store front could mean an increase in your customer base and in-store dwell time. More than 100 sites in Massachusetts have already signed on, including shopping centers, offices, parking garages, schools, hotels and gas stations.

Who is an ideal site host?

Businesses or municipalities with large parking areas or where people are likely to be parked for a while. Shopping centers, mixed-use developments, apartment complexes or condominiums, and museums and other tourist attractions are ideal site hosts. The initiative also supports the installation of a limited number of Level III “DC Fast” chargers along travel corridors.

How does it work?

Building owners, managers or operators download the application from eversource.com and send it to [email protected] to apply. Once approved, Eversource covers all of the infrastructure costs and implementation needed to install the charging stations – which generally accounts for 50-90 percent of total costs associated with installing EV charging stations. The site host is only responsible for purchasing and installing the charging stations.

A key benefit of the program is that Eversource provides enough infrastructure to support multiple charging stations, but site owners only have to commit to buy one charging station now. This means that the site owner can easily install additional charging stations later as demand for EV charging rises.

If a site is within an eligible Environmental Justice Community, Eversource will pay all costs for the chargers and their installation. Eversource has earmarked 10 percent of sites to be in Environmental Justice Communities.

Are new construction projects eligible?

Yes! Planning for EV charging access at the construction phase of a new building makes it easier to make the needed electrical infrastructure improvements and counts toward LEED v4 Green Building certification.

For more information about Eversource’s EV charging station program and how to become a site host, please visit Eversource.com.