Background

Thank you for your interest in the MassCEC On-Street Charging Solutions Program. This program will promote wide-scale EV adoption across the Commonwealth by increasing access to curbside EV charging infrastructure in Massachusetts communities, with an emphasis on Low Income/Disadvantaged Communities (LIDAC). The Program is funded through federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) investment and will run from November 2024 to December 2026.

Access to charging is a significant barrier to EV adoption for renters and residents without a dedicated garage, driveway, and/or parking space. On-street charging, such as pole-mounted, streetlight, or curbside charging stations, has become increasingly appealing for municipalities looking to ensure all residents have sufficient charging options. Through the On-Street Charging Solutions Program, Commonwealth Electrical Technologies (CET) and their Vendor, Leidos Engineering, will offer one of two charging solutions pathways to participating municipalities:

1. Planning Support and Feasibility Studies: CET/Leidos will provide On-Street Charging planning support and feasibility studies for a selected cohort of up to 25 municipalities. Feasibility studies will determine recommended On-Street Charging technologies and locations, identify key stakeholders, propose a project timeline, and estimate total project costs, at a minimum. Additional details can be found in Appendix A. Awarded municipalities will solely receive planning services and will not receive funding for implementation. All planning services will need to be completed by September 2025.
2. Project Implementation: CET/Leidos will provide both implementation and technical assistance for On-Street Charging projects for a selected cohort of up to 15 municipalities. Implementation projects will receive funding for the installation of On-Street Charging EV Service Equipment (EVSE) at up to three sites, with 4-10 Level 2 charging ports per site. The estimated value of this incentive is ~$500,000 per municipality, but exact estimates will vary depending on the needs of the municipality. Additional details can be found in Appendix B. Awarded municipalities will solely receive project implementation services and will not receive funding for Feasibility Studies. All Project Implementation services must be completed by November 2026.

Any Massachusetts municipality is welcome to submit this application, but submitting an application does not guarantee your participation in the MassCEC On-Street Charging Solutions Program. The application window will remain open until Friday February 14th, 2025, at which point MassCEC, CET, and Leidos will score municipalities based on various criteria, including but not limited to:

• LIDAC status
• Percentage of residents who rent housing
• Number of on-street parking spaces
• Geographical location within Massachusetts

Once selected, you will be asked to sign a Memorandum of Understanding that will commit your place in the program.

If you have any questions about your ability to participate in the program, please reach out to EVcharging@comelectrical.com. 

Process

1.  Application – If your municipality is interested in participating in the program, please complete and return this application.
   1. Due Date - February 14th, 2025.
2. Municipal Selection - ThE CET/Leidos team will complete the selection process as agreed on with the MassCEC for participation in the program.
   1. Esitmated Completion - March 2025
3. Memorandum of Understanding – If your municipality has been selected for participation in the program, you will be asked to sign a MOU that outlines the terms and conditions of the program, as well as your responsibilities as a participant.
   1. Estimated Completion - March 2025
4. Kickoff Meeting – Once the MOU has been signed, a “kickoff” meeting will be held to begin the program. It is important for all relevant stakeholders within the municipality attend this meeting, as the roles and responsibilities for participation will be reviewed in detail.
   1. Estimated Completion - April/May 2025
5. Community Outreach – The CET/Leidos team will work with the municipality to develop a customized plan for community outreach, whereby local community members can provide input and guidance on the projects and site selection.
   1. Estimated Completion - June 2025
6. On-Site Assessments – Once proposed charging sites have been identified, the CET/Leidos team will work with the municipality to perform site assessments.
   1. Estimated Completion - July 2025
7. If Planning/Feasibility:
   1. Feasibility Study Final Report – Leidos will complete and submit a Feasibility Study to the municipality, which will include recommended On-Street Charging technologies and locations, identify key stakeholders, propose a project timeline, and estimate total project costs, at a minimum. Additional details can be found in Appendix A.
      1. Estimated completion – Ongoing with all 25 municipalities until December 2025
   2. Feasibility Study Presentation – Leidos will develop a presentation summarizing the results of the Feasibility Study and will present it to municipal stakeholders.
      1. Estimated completion – Ongoing with all 25 municipalities until December 2025
8. If Project Implementation:
   1. Site Selection – Based on the results of the site assessments, community outreach, and input from each municipality, CET/Leidos will select roughly three sites per municipality for project implementation. Considerations for site selection are described further in Appendix B.
      1. Estimated completion – July 2025
   2. Project Design – CET/Leidos will design/engineer the electrical construction of each specific project. Considerations for project design are also described in Appendix B.
      1. Estimated completion – August 2025
   3. Permitting – CET will work with the municipality to obtain all necessary construction permits.
      1. Estimated completion – Ongoing with all municipalities until March 2026
   4. Construction – CET and its subcontractors will schedule and complete the installation of electrical infrastructure for the On-Street Charging project, in coordination with the municipality and electric utility.
      1. Estimated completion – January 2026
   5. EVSE Commissioning – Once construction is complete and the utility has completed the necessary electrical connections, CET will commission the chargers and assist the municipality with setting up their account.
      1. Estimated completion – January 2026
   6. Maintenance & Operations Plan – CET/Leidos will develop a Maintenance and Operations Plan and will provide continuing education and support for the municipality after chargers are operational.
      1. Estimated completion – Ongoing with all municipalities until November 2026

*Refer to the Climate & Economic Justice Screening Tool for support

*Refer to Environmental Jusctice Population in MA for support

Appendix A: Feasibility Study Details

The Feasibility Study Final Report will include, as needed:

• Summary of the results of stakeholder and community engagement, mapping efforts, and recommendations for future community engagement best practices;
• Summary of the results of the site assessments including infrastructure requirements and constraints;
• Permitting and zoning considerations;
• Regulatory or policy suggestions to remove barriers to On-Street Charging;
• Recommendations for On-Street Charging EVSE locations and models (i.e. curbside, pole-mounted, streetlight, etc.);
• Recommended EVSE ownership structure (i.e. lease, own, third-party ownership);
• Parking enforcement and payment recommendations;
• Parking spot accessibility requirements and charging station language accessibility considerations;
• Estimated benefits to the surrounding communities (i.e. EVSE access, pollution reduction, cost savings, etc.);
• Recommended maintenance plan at the end of EVSE manufacturer warranty;
• A community education plan to assist municipalities with providing accurate and linguistically accessible marketing and educational materials to ensure that the community knows about the stations once installed and understands how to operate the stations;
• Estimated project costs including EVSE hardware, installation, operation, maintenance, software, and identification of potential utility and state incentives; and
• Estimated timelines for project implementation.

Appendix B: Implementation Details

Site Selection Considerations

Neighborhood or street information that will be considered when selecting On-Street Charging locations in the municipality may include, but are not limited to, the following.

Neighborhood Level

• Positive response from community stakeholders (residents, business owners, community organizations) during Community Outreach phase
• Demographic and land-use information: area population, residential density (single-family housing or multi-family), LIDAC factors (median household income, minority population, English language isolation)
• Existing EV adoption: number of EV registrations, number of existing charging stations
• Vehicles and parking information: percentage of vehicles stored on-street, number of vehicles per capita, percentage of commuters, number of existing parking lot or garage parking spaces, etc.

Street Level

• Availability of power from the electric utility: power supply (pole or manhole), three-phase power, existing utility equipment, pole ownership (utility or telecommunications company)
• Sidewalk width: sidewalk wide enough to accommodate charging station and maintain ADA-compliant pedestrian access lane.
• Traffic direction
• Parking orientation: parallel, 45º angled, 90º angled
• Existing bus or bike lanes
• Parking regulations: metering, street cleaning, use restrictions

Project Design Considerations

A site plan showing the agreed-upon project design will be given to the municipality for signature prior to beginning any work on site. In addition to selecting locations for equipment, the municipality must also select one of two design pathways: Expedited or Custom Pathway. Either pathway is acceptable, but the Custom Pathway is expected to result in a longer design and procurement process.

	Expedited	Custom
EVSE Type	FLO SmartTWO Level 2 Charging Station Dual-Port Pedestal-mounted	Any other EVSE Different manufacturer Higher power output Different mounting or port configuration
EVSE Quantity	2-5 Dual-Port Stations (10 Ports)	>10 Ports
Distribution Cabinet	One of electrical cabinet options: 150A 120/208V three-phase 225A 120/208V three-phase 225A 120/240V single-phase 400A 120/240V single-phase	Any other equipment
Ownership Model	Municipal-owned	Third-party owned Leased
Power Supply	Single- or three-phase power from utility transformer, pole, or in manhole	Single- or three-phase power from utility transformer, pole, or in manhole
Bollards	One bollard in front of dual-port station	Additional bollards