The map above shows the locations of DC Fast Chargers planned by awardees of the Maryland ECGP Round Two.
Electric Corridors Grant Program – Round Two Awards
A year ago, Governor Larry Hogan announced the first of three rounds of funding for the Maryland Electric Corridors Grant Program (ECGP) funded by Maryland’s portion of the VW diesel settlement. The first round included 36 public DC fast chargers at 13 locations along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors. Many of these locations that were announced last year have yet to be built.
Round two includes 35 chargers at 13 additional locations.
Blink requested $1,684,189.50 in grant funding for 12 chargers at six Royal Farms stores plus an Exxon station in Grantsville in far Western Maryland. The six Royal Farms stores used to have 50 kW chargers on the ChargePoint network. Those have been shut off and each of the newly funded locations are approved to get two 180 kW Blink chargers.
An Exxon station in Big Pool, MD was approved for two 150 kW fast chargers. Big Pool Exxon requested $373,913.60 but it is not clear if they were approved for the entire amount. The grant has a cost share component so the recipients are required to pay a percentage of the total cost.
EVgo asked for $895,000.00 in Round 2 funding to place 19 fast chargers at 5 locations. One of those locations, the Wawa in Beltsville, seems to have already been built.
Maryland ECGP – VW Settlement
The funding comes from the Volkswagen diesel settlement. Maryland was allocated approximately $75.6 million to use on projects to reduce the effect of diesel emissions. Up to 15% ($11.3 million) of Maryland’s Volkswagen Mitigation Plan funding can be used for EV charging infrastructure.
Maryland decided to release the funding in three rounds of public-private partnership grants. The first round included $3.7 million for DC fast chargers and Level 2 workplace charging.
Maryland Alternative Fuel Corridors
The Maryland Electric Corridors Grant Program is for fast charging stations along Alternative Fuel Corridors that have been designated by the Federal Highway Administration. The Alternative Fuel Corridors for electric vehicles include US Routes 50 and 301 on the Eastern Shore and I-68 / I-70 in Western Maryland.
Funding Award Chart
The chart below details the applicants’ locations, number of chargers and funding amounts.
Program Guidelines
The locations must be within a quarter mile of restrooms and other services. Chargers must remain operable and accessible 24/7, year round. The grantee will be responsible for “prompt maintenance and repair” of the charging equipment. The chargers must require payment from users and pricing must be displayed either on the unit or on a mobile app.
Another project requirement is for signage that identifies the parking spots as reserved for electric vehicles only. The signs must comply with all applicable local, state, and/or federal laws, ordinances, regulations, and standards. See: Regulatory Signs for EV Charging and Parking Facilities.
Information on the ECGP program is available on the Maryland Department of the Environment website at: Maryland Volkswagen Mitigation Plan.
