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Elk River <br />Municipal Utilities UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING <br />TO: <br />FROM: <br />ERMU Commission <br />Sara Youngs <br />MEETING DATE: <br />AGENDA ITEM NUMBER: <br />April 8, 2025 <br />4.5 <br />SUBJECT: <br />Electric Vehicle Charger Discussion <br />ACTION REQUESTED: <br />Recommend direction on public electric vehicle charging stations <br />BACKGROUND: <br />In 2017, ERMU received a grant from the American Public Power Association to implement an <br />electric vehicle (EV) charging program, focusing on new and innovative technologies for both <br />public and home charging. From 2017 to November 2023, ERMU operated four public charging <br />stations, three managed by ERMU and one as part of an initiative from our power provider, <br />Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (MMPA). In November 2023, ERMU removed the fast <br />charger at Coborn's parking lot, as it was no longer supported by ChargePoint. Currently, 84 <br />residential homes qualify for ERMU's electric vehicle time -of -use charging rates. <br />DISCUSSION: <br />Staff is seeking commission direction on whether Elk River Municipal Utilities (ERMU) should <br />continue operating public electric vehicle charging stations within its service territory. <br />Currently, ERMU operates two public charging stations: one downtown in the public parking lot <br />and one at City Hall. Previous discussions with the city's Economic Development Authority <br />(EDA) about transferring to the downtown station were unsuccessful due to challenges with <br />ChargePoint. <br />ERMU's subscription with ChargePoint expires on May 25, 2025. The estimated cost to renew <br />the three-year subscription is approximately $2,080 per charger. This cloud -based service <br />allows EV drivers to locate public charging stations, provides for a method of payment, and <br />provides ERMU with a dashboard for monitoring station data. <br />In addition, MMPA has a charging station in Otsego at Rockwood's. MMPA has decided to <br />transfer its charging station assets to the respective city utilities, as the chargers have lost <br />connectivity, meaning drivers are not being charged for their sessions. <br />1. Should ERMU continue operating public charging stations? <br />• If yes, should a fee remain in place for the stations, or should they be offered free of <br />charge? <br />Page 1 of 2 <br />143 <br />