Bayfield County Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
Bayfield County Courthouse DC Fast Charger
Bayfield County Submits U.S. Department of Transportation Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant (CFI) on June 13, 2023
Abstract:
Bayfield County Wisconsin is partnering with the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and Xcel Energy to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure throughout the county. As the northernmost county in Wisconsin, Bayfield County is the gateway to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore on Lake Superior, home to the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s Frog Bay Tribal National Park, the newly established Lake Superior Byway along State Highway 13, vast tracts of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, hundreds of miles of Lake Superior shoreline, miles of recreational trails, and 962 inland lakes. This rural and remote setting supports a robust tourist economy but has inadequate electric vehicle charging infrastructure to transition to a clean transportation economy. The Electric Vehicle Charging Implementation Project addresses this inadequacy in addition to challenges presented by the northern climate and vast distances. The proposal includes locating eleven, 4-port charging stations on scenic secondary routes throughout the County, adequately spaced to reduce winter range anxiety supporting both level-2 and level-3 charging. See map here.
The partnership with the Red Cliff Band ensures project benefits are realized by the native community and provides support of existing and future tribal economic development. The Project utilizes Xcel Energy’s new Electric Vehicle Commercial tariff program to provide required cost share and limits future risk to site owners by designing charging infrastructure capacity to minimize the impact of utility demand charges. Communities throughout Bayfield County have offered support at planning commissions, harbor commissions, Town Hall meetings, City Council meetings, County committee and board meetings, and public outreach through the University of Wisconsin Extension and local nonprofits.
Each site is preapproved by Xcel Energy who has developed preliminary site maps. Through a public notification process, Bayfield County has a prequalified applicant list of electric vehicle charging equipment vendors whose equipment conforms to the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Standards and Requirements. Proposals include maintenance and operation of the charging equipment for the first 5-years. The partnering companies have been vetted for diversity, equity and inclusion. The local utility, Xcel Energy was recognized by Forbes Magazine as a Best Employer in the World and scored a perfect 100 points on the Human’s Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index which also earns them the distinction of “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality”.
The Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Implementation Project will establish Bayfield County as a model community to emulate, highlighting a strong level of cooperation and coordination between local government, private business and utilities. This pilot will be a signal that all communities, even rural, colder climate northern communities are “open for business” and ready to succeed in the new carbon-free economy. The region’s previous success with carbon reduction initiatives including achieving 100% carbon-free electricity in all County-owned infrastructure, recognized by Wisconsin Governor Evers, together with multiple ongoing microgrid and solar projects helps ensure success of this ambitious project.
The DOT CFI grant application narrative can be seen here.
Abstract:
Bayfield County Wisconsin is partnering with the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and Xcel Energy to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure throughout the county. As the northernmost county in Wisconsin, Bayfield County is the gateway to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore on Lake Superior, home to the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s Frog Bay Tribal National Park, the newly established Lake Superior Byway along State Highway 13, vast tracts of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, hundreds of miles of Lake Superior shoreline, miles of recreational trails, and 962 inland lakes. This rural and remote setting supports a robust tourist economy but has inadequate electric vehicle charging infrastructure to transition to a clean transportation economy. The Electric Vehicle Charging Implementation Project addresses this inadequacy in addition to challenges presented by the northern climate and vast distances. The proposal includes locating eleven, 4-port charging stations on scenic secondary routes throughout the County, adequately spaced to reduce winter range anxiety supporting both level-2 and level-3 charging. See map here.
The partnership with the Red Cliff Band ensures project benefits are realized by the native community and provides support of existing and future tribal economic development. The Project utilizes Xcel Energy’s new Electric Vehicle Commercial tariff program to provide required cost share and limits future risk to site owners by designing charging infrastructure capacity to minimize the impact of utility demand charges. Communities throughout Bayfield County have offered support at planning commissions, harbor commissions, Town Hall meetings, City Council meetings, County committee and board meetings, and public outreach through the University of Wisconsin Extension and local nonprofits.
Each site is preapproved by Xcel Energy who has developed preliminary site maps. Through a public notification process, Bayfield County has a prequalified applicant list of electric vehicle charging equipment vendors whose equipment conforms to the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Standards and Requirements. Proposals include maintenance and operation of the charging equipment for the first 5-years. The partnering companies have been vetted for diversity, equity and inclusion. The local utility, Xcel Energy was recognized by Forbes Magazine as a Best Employer in the World and scored a perfect 100 points on the Human’s Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index which also earns them the distinction of “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality”.
The Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Implementation Project will establish Bayfield County as a model community to emulate, highlighting a strong level of cooperation and coordination between local government, private business and utilities. This pilot will be a signal that all communities, even rural, colder climate northern communities are “open for business” and ready to succeed in the new carbon-free economy. The region’s previous success with carbon reduction initiatives including achieving 100% carbon-free electricity in all County-owned infrastructure, recognized by Wisconsin Governor Evers, together with multiple ongoing microgrid and solar projects helps ensure success of this ambitious project.
The DOT CFI grant application narrative can be seen here.