Norfolk County to apply for incentive funding to install six EV charging stations

The Norfolk County Commission on June 11 authorized county staff to submit incentive applications and move forward with proposals to install electric vehicle charging stations at six county locations.

County Director John Cronin asked the commissioners for a motion to endorse the six-site plans and submit them for state incentive approval; the motion was made, seconded and approved unanimously. Commissioner Richard (last name on file) made the motion and commissioners voted “aye.”

County staff and vendor representatives said the plan calls for one charging station at each of six locations, each station with two ports (12 ports total). Nick Lari of EFSC Solutions described a newer Level 2 “supercharger” model the county selected, saying the devices charge substantially faster than conventional Level 2 chargers and “provide potentially more turnover” because a full charge on the device takes roughly two to three hours compared with six to eight hours on standard Level 2 hardware.

John Cronin, who presented the county’s review of the proposals, said the package reflects guidance from the commissioners and that the county’s electrician had reviewed the proposals and found them acceptable. Cronin said the county intends the sites to cover different areas of Norfolk County and listed preferred sites including the county golf course (near the tennis courts), Stoughton District Court, the block behind the registry of deeds, the agricultural high school (the Aggie), and Brookline District Court.

Vendor representatives and county staff described a performance-based business model for the installations. Nick Lari explained the performance arrangement: if no charging activity occurs there is no monthly fee to the county; the vendor takes a percentage (he described an example 10%) from the price charged to drivers under the performance contract. He also said the county could convert to an annual-fee model later if high usage justified that change.

Staff and the vendor described incentive constraints that shaped the plan. The current state incentive, as described at the meeting, covers one Level 2 “supercharger” per street address; that limitation influenced the choice to deploy one dual-port station at each selected site rather than multiple stations at a single address. Commissioners asked about warranty and repairs; the vendor said some repairs are covered under warranty and that more extensive damage (for example a vehicle plowing into the device) would be covered by the county’s insurance or otherwise handled per the contract.

Timeline projections presented at the meeting said the incentive approval process currently takes about six to eight weeks once the signed application is submitted; after incentive approval, vendors estimated equipment delivery and site installation could begin within a week or two but cautioned that scheduling and demand could extend that to two or three weeks. County staff estimated roughly three months from approval to having the six Level 2 “supercharger” stations installed, if the incentive and utility approvals proceed without delay.

The commission’s vote authorized Director Cronin to execute the nonbinding pre-application paperwork and to sign final documents when the incentive award documents arrive; meeting participants emphasized the signed incentive documents would make installations binding. The commission did not appropriate new county funds at this meeting; the project relies on the state incentive and the vendor contract structure described at the meeting.

Vendor and county participants thanked East Coast Renewable (EVSE), Port Energy and other partners who helped prepare the submission. The county will return to the commission if additional approvals or funding commitments are required.