Ohio EPA is accepting applications for $7 million in grants for publicly accessible direct current fast-charging (DCFC) electric vehicle charging stations. Eligible applicants include public or private entities in the 26 counties that Ohio EPA has identified as eligible to receive funds from the grant program.
Applications will be accepted via email at evcharging@epa.ohio.gov through Jan. 31, 2022. Interested applicants may contact Ohio EPA staff at the same address. A slide presentation with more about the program is available online.
Both public and private entities are eligible for the grants. For chargers located on government-owned property, Ohio EPA will provide up to 100 percent of eligible project costs. For chargers located on non-government-owned property, Ohio EPA will provide up to 80 percent of eligible project costs.
Recipients of a grant for charging stations under this program are required to operate and maintain the chargers for a minimum of five years from the date the chargers are first put into service.
Funding for the electric vehicle charging station grants comes from dollars allocated to Ohio from the Volkswagen Mitigation Trust Fund. A lawsuit alleged that VW installed defeat devices on certain vehicles (model years 2009-2016). The devices activated during emissions testing made vehicles appear to be compliant with the law, when in fact, during an on-road operation, the vehicles emitted nine to 40 times the allowable amount of nitrogen oxides, a harmful air pollutant. A settlement filed with the federal court allocated funds to states based on the number of vehicles with the illegal devices that were registered in each state.
During his time as Attorney General, Governor Mike DeWine, along with other state attorneys general, worked to ensure that states would receive their share of funding from the settlement. The trust agreement requires each state to develop a plan identifying how funding will be allocated to 10 allowable uses that can reduce nitrogen oxide emissions and offset damages. Eligible projects include replacement or engine repowers of the following: aging diesel trucks; school, shuttle, and transit buses; ferries and tugboats; switcher locomotives; airport ground support equipment; forklifts; and cargo handling equipment in ports. Ohio EPA has offered three rounds of grant opportunities to replace aging diesel engine fleets.
Ohio EPA has posted a copy of the state’s plan for the program on the Office of Environmental Education web page.