Solar & Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Grant for Municipalities
Share Solar & Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Grant for Municipalities on FacebookShare Solar & Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Grant for Municipalities on TwitterShare Solar & Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Grant for Municipalities on LinkedinEmail Solar & Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Grant for Municipalities link
Ulster County has launched the Solar & Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (SEVI) grant program, which commits $2.5 million of the County's American Rescue Plan Act funds to support clean energy investments by local governments that reduce reliance on fossil fuels and help mitigate climate change. The SEVI program will award up to $100,000 to Town and Village governments for solar, EV charging infrastructure, or both, and requires a 50% local match (federal, state, and other funding can be included in the match). The application form was sent to municipal mayors and supervisors, and completed applications were due Friday, July 19, 2024.Awards are expected to be announced in August. Future funding rounds may be announced depending on funding availability.
There has never been a more opportune time for local governments to make these clean energy investments. Thanks to the federal Inflation Reduction Act, governments can now take advantage of tax incentives of up to 30-40% of project costs, in addition to state and utility incentives and the County's SEVI program.
Beyond the climate benefits, these investments make fiscal sense, reducing dependence on volatile fossil fuel prices and providing cost savings on electric bills (in the case of solar) and on fuel and routine maintenance costs (in the case of municipal electric vehicles). Investing in EV charging can also provide an economic and tourism development benefit if located conveniently in a business district. Sales of EVs in Ulster County have more than doubled in the last year and are expected to account for the majority of vehicles on the road in the next decade. Investing in charging infrastructure is a commonsense step that governments can take now to prepare.
Eligibility
The grant opportunity is available to any Ulster County municipality. A letter of commitment from the governing body of the municipality must be submitted with the application.
All solar and EV charging projects must be municipallyowned. EV charging facilities may be installed on property that is not municipallyowned, provided a long-term agreement or lease (ten years with right of renewal) is secured with the property owner.
Eligible solar projects:rooftop and ground-mounted solar, solar carports, and solar paired with EV charging.
Eligible EV charging projects: Eligible projects must incorporate publicly accessible charging infrastructure. In addition, a single municipal application can cover EV infrastructure at multiple sites (with a minimum of two EV charging plugs per location). The municipality must own any new infrastructure outright (i.e. grant funds cannot be used to lease EV charging station equipment).
Grant awards are capped at $100,000 per municipality. Local governments may submit an application for a solar project, EV-charging project, or both. Municipalities may submit separate applications for an EV charging project and a solar project; however, total funding is capped at $100,000 per municipality. Projects pairing EV charging with solar may submit a single application.
Costs incurred between the grant award letter date and the contract end date will be eligible.
Eligible Project Costs
If awarded, funding will be provided on a reimbursement basis for any of the costs listed below. A local 50% match is required for each project. Separate applications must be submitted if seeking funding for both solar and EV charging projects unless they are a single, combined project.
Solar grant:Eligible costs include design, engineering, solar panels, inverters, energy storage devices, CSP equipment, interconnection costs, wiring, and mounting equipment; canopy materials and construction, if applicable; installation costs, including labor costs and developer fees. For rooftop solar, eligible expenses include new roof/roof repair, with reimbursement from SEVI grant made upon commission of the solar installation.
EV-charging grant:EV charging equipment; supplies; materials; installation costs; site preparation costs; signage; and electrical service costs not covered by Central Hudson Make-Ready Program.
EV charging projects must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Ulster County was among the first counties to install EV charging infrastructure, beginning in 2015, and currently has 22 Level-2 chargers (44 plugs in total) located at different County facilities for public and government use.
Electric Vehicle (EV) charging station at the County Office Building.
Ulster County has launched the Solar & Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (SEVI) grant program, which commits $2.5 million of the County's American Rescue Plan Act funds to support clean energy investments by local governments that reduce reliance on fossil fuels and help mitigate climate change. The SEVI program will award up to $100,000 to Town and Village governments for solar, EV charging infrastructure, or both, and requires a 50% local match (federal, state, and other funding can be included in the match). The application form was sent to municipal mayors and supervisors, and completed applications were due Friday, July 19, 2024.Awards are expected to be announced in August. Future funding rounds may be announced depending on funding availability.
There has never been a more opportune time for local governments to make these clean energy investments. Thanks to the federal Inflation Reduction Act, governments can now take advantage of tax incentives of up to 30-40% of project costs, in addition to state and utility incentives and the County's SEVI program.
Beyond the climate benefits, these investments make fiscal sense, reducing dependence on volatile fossil fuel prices and providing cost savings on electric bills (in the case of solar) and on fuel and routine maintenance costs (in the case of municipal electric vehicles). Investing in EV charging can also provide an economic and tourism development benefit if located conveniently in a business district. Sales of EVs in Ulster County have more than doubled in the last year and are expected to account for the majority of vehicles on the road in the next decade. Investing in charging infrastructure is a commonsense step that governments can take now to prepare.
Eligibility
The grant opportunity is available to any Ulster County municipality. A letter of commitment from the governing body of the municipality must be submitted with the application.
All solar and EV charging projects must be municipallyowned. EV charging facilities may be installed on property that is not municipallyowned, provided a long-term agreement or lease (ten years with right of renewal) is secured with the property owner.
Eligible solar projects:rooftop and ground-mounted solar, solar carports, and solar paired with EV charging.
Eligible EV charging projects: Eligible projects must incorporate publicly accessible charging infrastructure. In addition, a single municipal application can cover EV infrastructure at multiple sites (with a minimum of two EV charging plugs per location). The municipality must own any new infrastructure outright (i.e. grant funds cannot be used to lease EV charging station equipment).
Grant awards are capped at $100,000 per municipality. Local governments may submit an application for a solar project, EV-charging project, or both. Municipalities may submit separate applications for an EV charging project and a solar project; however, total funding is capped at $100,000 per municipality. Projects pairing EV charging with solar may submit a single application.
Costs incurred between the grant award letter date and the contract end date will be eligible.
Eligible Project Costs
If awarded, funding will be provided on a reimbursement basis for any of the costs listed below. A local 50% match is required for each project. Separate applications must be submitted if seeking funding for both solar and EV charging projects unless they are a single, combined project.
Solar grant:Eligible costs include design, engineering, solar panels, inverters, energy storage devices, CSP equipment, interconnection costs, wiring, and mounting equipment; canopy materials and construction, if applicable; installation costs, including labor costs and developer fees. For rooftop solar, eligible expenses include new roof/roof repair, with reimbursement from SEVI grant made upon commission of the solar installation.
EV-charging grant:EV charging equipment; supplies; materials; installation costs; site preparation costs; signage; and electrical service costs not covered by Central Hudson Make-Ready Program.
EV charging projects must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Ulster County was among the first counties to install EV charging infrastructure, beginning in 2015, and currently has 22 Level-2 chargers (44 plugs in total) located at different County facilities for public and government use.
Ulster County was among the first counties to install EV charging infrastructure, beginning in 2015, and currently has 22 Level-2 chargers (44 plugs in total) located at different County facilities for public and government use.
County salt shed with solar paneling on the roof. Photo from https://ulstercountyny.gov/environment/sustainability-energy/renewable-electricity.
An off-the-grid product the County recently purchased. Photo from https://beamforall.com/product/ev-arc-2020/.
Electric Vehicle (EV) charging station at the County Office Building.
