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BGS outlines state EV charging-station program, costs and user-fee policy; committee probes why state funds chargers
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Summary
Deputy Commissioner Emily Cicki briefed the committee on BGS's EV charging-station program: installations support the state fleet and some public access, BGS sets a cost-recovery rate, estimated Level 2 installation costs are $20,000'$32,000, and $500,000 remains in the FY allocation; committee members questioned why the state pays for chargers rather than private providers.
Deputy Commissioner Emily Cicki of Buildings and General Services told the Senate Institutions Committee that BGS has been installing EV charging stations on state properties since about 2013 to support the state fleet and, in some locations, public visitors.
"We set a recovery rate," Cicki said, describing the agency's practice of charging users so the state does not subsidize electricity or operating costs. "It is not making a profit," she said, adding that rates and cost-recovery policies are developed in collaboration with the secretary of administration.
Cicki said BGS has installed roughly 44 stations at state facilities (with much of the program growth occurring after 2018), and that a Level 2 charging station installation typically costs about $20,000 to $32,000 when site work, design and permitting are included. She said the agency budgets roughly $450 per station per year for maintenance and reported about $500,000 available in the coming year for additional installations under BGS authority.
Committee members pressed on several points: why the state funds chargers rather than relying entirely on private providers, how sites are selected (factors include concentration of state vehicles, employee survey results and opportunities linked to major construction projects), payment and network options (some stations are networked so users can pay by card or app), and whether BGS would pursue Level 3 fast chargers (Cicki said Level 3 is expensive and the agency has not actively pursued it because of site constraints).
Why it matters: The state program affects fleet electrification, workplace charging for state employees, and potential public access at state facilities; decisions affect how the state spends capital funds and how charging infrastructure is distributed.
What happens next: Cicki offered to provide the committee a rate memo and usage data from the networked chargers; the committee signaled interest in data on utilization and costs as it evaluates capital-bill allocations.
