On March 1st, the City of Frederick approved and adopted the Plug-In Electric Charging Infrastructure Plan. The plan evaluated the current conditions of Plug-In Electric Vehicle (PEV) use in Frederick and created a roadmap for increasing the number of charging points in the City.
Frederick County currently has 420 registered PEVs – positioning the County as 7th (of the State’s 24 counties) in percent of total vehicles that are PEVS.
There are currently 8 publically-available and easily accessible Level 2 PEV charging locations within the City of Frederick, with additional station locations in the surrounding areas of Mount Airy, Point of Rocks, Sabillasville, Taneytown and Thurmont. Two more private locations are reserved to service cars in the City’s municipal fleet – which features one fully-electric Nissan Leaf and several Pruises.
The roadmap for Frederick’s future electric infrastructure development – which can be viewed in its entirety here - focuses on easing and incentivizing private investment. The City looks to pursue initial PEV-ready procedures and train City staff to streamline the permitting process, which will in turn allow residents a clearer, more cost-effective path towards personal installation.
Concurrently, the Maryland Energy Administration is working with Marylanders to expand the State’s growing electric vehicle recharging infrastructure through the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Rebate Program. More information can be found here.
Jenny Willoughby, the City’s Sustainability Manager, explained there is a twofold push for preparing these types of plans within the City. “One practical motivation is that the market is changing. Major manufacturers in the transportation industry are shifting their R&D efforts away from gas-powered vehicles. Planning ahead for these shifts is critical to maintaining a modern and efficient City.”
“A second motivation,” she continued, “is the region’s current growth. Right now, Frederick has excellent air quality. We’d like to keep it that way, even as we continue to grow. Taking steps to reduce carbon emissions and particulate matter is essential to ensuring we live in a sustainable City we can continue to enjoy for years to come.”