Albany Council accepts federal grant to add four EV charging sites, directs private-match preference

The Albany City Council on Jan. 8 adopted a resolution accepting a $1,848,960 Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to install electric vehicle charging stations at four locations, and directed staff to favor proposals where a private partner provides the required 20% match.

The action matters because the grant covers 80% of construction costs but requires the city — as the grant recipient — to ensure a 20% local match. Public Works Engineering Manager Carl Berg told the council the grant “is a community grant, which allows us the option of contracting with a private entity, such as a charging company,” and staff “will seek for the contracted entity to cover the 20% match,” while noting “ultimately,…