Subject
title
Ratify and Approve the City Manager’s Earlier Execution of a Grant Agreement with the Maryland Smart Energy Administration for the FY 2024 Maryland Smart Energy Communities/Clean Energy for Local Governments Grant for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure.
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Department
PW - Environmental Management
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Mayor and Council ratify and approve the City Manager’s earlier execution of a FY 2024 Maryland Smart Energy Communities/Clean Energy for Local Governments grant agreement (Attachment 1) between the Mayor and Council of Rockville and the State of Maryland, to support electric vehicle charging infrastructure at the Rothgeb Maintenance Facility and
Recreation Services Building at the Rockville Civic Center Complex.
Discussion
City staff received notice from the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) of a grant award of up to $48,000 to install up to eight fleet electric vehicle charging ports at the Rothgeb Maintenance Facility and Recreation Services Building at the Rockville Civic Center Complex. The grant was awarded from the State of Maryland’s FY 2024 Maryland Smart Energy Communities (MSEC)/Clean Energy for Local Governments Program, a program designed to support local governments’ energy projects as they strive to meet energy efficiency goals. The grant funding is conditional upon a signed and executed grant agreement between MEA and Rockville (Attachment 1).
Authorizing the grant agreement with MEA would allow the city to continue to expand the EV charging network at city facilities to support fleet electrification. This project, and others previously funded under MSEC, support Rockville’s greenhouse gas reduction goals, described in Rockville’s Climate Action Plan adopted by the Mayor and Council on January 10, 2022. This project helps the City address Action M-07, expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure on City property to serve employees, fleet and the community.
MEA first provided the agreement to staff on October 15 and required that it be returned to MEA no later than November 3rd. Staff was unable to bring this item before this agenda because the agreement was not provided in time to align with agenda deadlines.
Mayor and Council History
This is the first time this item has been brought before the Mayor and Council.
Fiscal Impact
The grant will be added to the Electric Vehicle Instructure (GA23). The $106,120 project match under this MEA grant will be met with the paygo funding currently within the CIP.
Next Steps
If ratified by the Mayor and Council, the City Manager will provide MEA with documentation of the ratification and approval.