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Virginia Clean Cities outlines free EV chargers, short-term incentives and assessment offer for Marion
Summary
Virginia Clean Cities presented a grant program offering free level‑2 chargers (with up to $2,000 installation reimbursement), two remaining fast chargers (with up to $7,000 reimbursement), demonstration vehicles and a transportation needs assessment; council asked staff to continue coordinating and no formal vote was required.
Tara Casterson, a regional representative for Virginia Clean Cities, told the Marion Town Council on April 7 that the organization can deliver free electric‑vehicle chargers and other resources to the town through two federal- and university‑partnered programs.
Casterson said the program offers free level‑2 chargers to site hosts with up to $2,000 in reimbursement for installation costs and that two fast chargers remain in the program with higher reimbursements (she cited about $7,000 for fast‑charger installation). The program, she said, requires a site‑host assessment (used in place of a separate NEPA review), and Tennessee Tech will administer the site‑host agreements and reimbursements for the kits. ‘‘This program does end in October, so decisions have to be made a little quicker than probably others,’’ Casterson told council members.
Why it matters: charging infrastructure can influence where travelers stop and spend locally. During the presentation Casterson said a study from MIT showed chargers near points of interest — downtown businesses, restaurants and hotels — can boost local spending, and she said over 100,000 EVs are registered in Virginia, creating potential demand for public chargers.
Key program details presented - Sites: the program is open to public and private site hosts; chargers must be accessible to the public and the host agrees to share simple usage data for roughly five years. - Reimbursements: up to $2,000 for level‑2 installations; about $7,000 for the limited fast‑charger slots. Fast chargers require three‑phase power and have higher installation costs. Casterson said only two free fast chargers remained in the program at the time of her presentation. - Deadlines: site host assessments were requested by May 30; orders would be placed in June and installations completed by Sept. 30 under the schedule Casterson described. She emphasized that timetables are short because the program window closes in October. - Administration: site assessments serve as the categorical NEPA approval; Tennessee Tech handles the paperwork, and Virginia Clean Cities will provide technical assistance and demonstration vehicles for short trial periods.
Council response and next steps Council members expressed interest in moving forward without a formal vote at the meeting. Mayor and council staff indicated Ken Heath and the town manager's office would continue to coordinate site assessments and explore candidate locations downtown and at other public sites. Council did not adopt any binding action that night; staff said further work would include specific site selection, cost estimates for installation, and coordination with Tennessee Tech on site‑host agreements.
What was not decided: the council did not approve a specific site, funding commitment or municipal installation plan during the meeting. Casterson said technical questions she could not answer on the spot would be sent back to her team’s technical experts.
The council meeting packet and Casterson’s presentation materials include additional technical and scheduling details; town staff indicated they will return with site‑specific recommendations for council consideration.
