Kenmore releases plan recommending 21 public chargers, timeline to electrify city fleet by 2039

Kenmore city staff and consultants presented an Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Plan (EVIP) to the City Council outlining where and how the city should add public charging and how the city can electrify its own fleet.

The plan recommends deploying 17 Level 2 chargers and four direct-current fast chargers (DCFCs) along the Kenmore Central Corridor within roughly the next 18 months, developing partnerships for chargers on private property, and preparing the Public Works Operations Center to host multiple fleet chargers. The consultant projected the city’s internal fleet — 27 vehicles today — could be fully electric by about 2039, with hybrid transitions through the late 2020s.

The EVIP team said the plan is intended to support Kenmore’s emissions goals and prepare for upcoming state regulations that will increase electric vehicle (EV) sales. Accenture senior director Nick Conti described the study’s methodologies: community engagement, mapping of utility hosting capacity, and a vehicle-adoption model that forecasts charger demand by year and location.

"We are recommending a total of 21 chargers for the next 18 months or so," Conti said, describing a near-term mix of 17 L2 and four DC fast chargers concentrated in the central corridor. He added that a cost-optimized rollout could lower the overall implementation bill by about $3.7 million over 15 years compared with a pro-rata approach.

Staff and consultants emphasized leveraging local utility programs and available incentives. The presentation noted many incentives are state- and locally focused and cautioned that funding availability can change; the team recommended taking advantage of current incentives where feasible. The plan also proposes separate metering for charging sites so operators can access special EV utility rates.

For the city fleet, the consultants recommended installing at least three dual-port chargers (six ports) at the new Public Works Operations Center now, designing the site to accommodate up to 26 dual-port chargers in the future, and prewiring for additional capacity to avoid later excavation costs. The consultants also recommended replacing three city vehicles in 2025–2026 and another six through 2027–2030 to align with the electrification timeline.

Council members asked about funding, vandalism and resiliency. Conti and staff said much of the near-term funding the plan assumes is state or local; they had reduced reliance on federal funds in a late-2024 pivot. On vandalism, staff said vendors are developing theft-resistant cables with steel cores and heat sensors; the full report includes a section on safety measures and the council was told the city should include an operations-and-maintenance contract to keep chargers operational.

The presentation closed with implementation steps that include continued community engagement — with an emphasis on underserved and multifamily areas — partnership-building with businesses and the school district, coordination with Puget Sound Energy for grid capacity and incentives, and considering public-private operations models. The consultant also forecasted an eventual network goal of up to 82 Level 2 chargers and 10–18 DC fast chargers by about 2030, depending on demand and funding.

Council members thanked staff for the report and raised next-step priorities for outreach to schools and ways to reduce vandalism and maintenance downtime. No actionable vote was taken; the presentation was informational and staff indicated next steps would be brought forward for council consideration.