SKAGIT COUNTY—The City of Mount Vernon opened the country’s largest municipally owned electric vehicle (EV) charging station on September 30.
The city was awarded $12.5 million in Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) grants to build EV chargers and paired that with other state and local funding to complete a mixed-use project that includes a public library, community conference center, a structured kitchen, and a three-floor parking garage.
Washingtonians and those traveling along the I-5 Alternative Fuel Corridor between Seattle and Vancouver, Canada, will now be able to easily charge their vehicles at one of the 76 charging ports, four of which are DC fast chargers.
Commuters can also access nine electric bicycle charging lockers at the new station. The Mount Vernon project is primed for future growth with the capacity to install 200 additional charging ports. The project also supports a regional transit stop linking Skagit, Whatcom, and Snohomish counties.
“Mount Vernon has shown forward thinking in building a multi-modal charging hub with amenities that’s ready for use now and prepared for more demand in the future,” said Gabe Klein, Executive Director of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. “The Joint Office is excited to congratulate the City of Mount Vernon on this historic accomplishment. This public community charging project leveraged federal, state, and local funds to enable zero-emission mobility in the city and along the I-5 corridor for all those who work, live, and play in the area.”
To date, the CFI Grant Program has awarded over $1 billion to nearly 100 projects nationwide that have spurred private investments in growing the nation’s EV charging network and are actively deploying chargers across the country and ensuring more drivers can charge their EVs where they live, work, and shop, while also supporting longer trips.
Earlier this year, the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded Western Washington communities up to a total of $41.19 million to add 180 Electric Vehicle charging stations in Port Angeles, Mount Vernon, and rural cities. The DOT’s Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program was established under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to strategically deploy publicly accessible EV charging and alternative fueling infrastructure nationwide.
SOURCE: Joint Office of Energy and Transportation.
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
