Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
An MMA webinar on Aug. 7 explored state incentives and federal funding options for electric vehicle charging infrastructure and low-emission vehicles. Speakers included (top row l-r) Danvers Energy Resource Manager Jeff Elie, Carolyn Berndt, legislative director for sustainability at the National League of Cities and Anna Vanderspek, electric vehicle program director at the Green Energy Consumers Alliance; (bottom row l-r) Kyle Funk, senior program specialist on infrastructure, transportation and solutions at the National League of Cities and MMA Legislative Analyst Josie Ahlberg.
An MMA webinar today explored state incentives and federal funding options for electric vehicle charging infrastructure and low-emission vehicles.
Anna Vanderspek, electric vehicle program director at the Green Energy Consumers Alliance, discussed the benefits of electric vehicles and provided an overview of the basics, including the three different types of EVs: battery EVs, plug-in hybrids, and fuel cell EVs.
Vanderspek highlighted state and utility incentives for EVs, including Mass EVIP and MOR-EV. She also discussed incentives for installing charging stations, emphasizing programs that cover a percentage of hardware, infrastructure and installation costs.
Carolyn Berndt, legislative director for sustainability at the National League of Cities, reviewed federal EV funding opportunities, incentives and technical assistance. She focused on investment tax credits available via Direct Pay, and outlined steps for getting started.
“Local governments must invest in their project first, then submit a tax form to the IRS to receive reimbursements,” Berndt said. “The first year of filing will be the hardest, but the long-term payoff is huge for advancing these clean energy projects.”
Kyle Funk, senior program specialist on infrastructure, transportation and solutions at the National League of Cities, reviewed policy considerations for municipal leaders as they pursue electrification. He offered guidance on working with utility providers, navigating permitting and zoning, and enforcing electrical codes.
Funk highlighted the ongoing work of the State and Local EV Workforce Collaborative, a national task force charged with developing the workforce necessary to support EV adoption across the country.
Danvers Energy Resource Manager Jeff Elie discussed how to maximize EV charging infrastructure benefits through careful consideration of siting. He shared his community’s approach to electrifying vehicles and fleets using MassEVIP public access charging incentives, which helped Danvers double its charging offerings with a total of $150,000 in funding.
MMA Legislative Analyst Josie Ahlberg moderated 10 minutes of questions and answers, addressing inquiries about regional collaboration, building support across municipal boards and committees, and where to find EV charging stations across the state.
• Public Access Level 2 EV Charging Project – town of Danvers presentation (2M PDF)
• Inspiring Climate Action: Understanding Electric Vehicles and Funding Opportunities – Green Energy Consumers Alliance presentation (1M PDF)
• Inspiring Climate Action: Understanding Electric Vehicles and Funding Opportunities – National League of Cities presentation (1M PDF)