State Selects Ocean City for EV Charging Station Grant

By MADDY VITALE The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) notified Ocean City this week that its grant application to fund new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations has been approved. The grant will help pay for new fast EV charging stations at the Transportation Center parking lot at Ninth Street and Haven Avenue. Specifically, the grant will pay up to $150,000 for two DC fast chargers that can each charge two vehicles. The equipment can charge an electric vehicle to 80 percent in 30 to 45 minutes. “I want to thank Assemblyman Antwan McClellan for reaching out to the BPU and helping to facilitate the award,” Mayor Jay Gillian said in a news release. “It’s important to provide our residents and guests with access to the most up-to-date amenities, especially as electric vehicles become more common.” The Transportation Center is located a few blocks from the Ninth Street Bridge, one of the primary gateways to Ocean City. The EV charging stations had been placed there prior to a recent repaving project. Michael Allegretto, aide to the mayor, noted in an interview Tuesday that the "faster charging stations will make it really convenient for people driving into town and will allow them to walk right to our downtown to the Boardwalk." Allegretto added, "Hopefully, many other EV charging stations will be installed around town in the future." The award was part of the state’s EV Tourism Program, which is intended to expand access to electric vehicle charging at tourism locations throughout New Jersey. As with the EV Tourism Program, the city is doing all preliminary work required to be ready as new infrastructure award programs are announced, according to the news release.