Free ride ends as city begins charging to use EV stations

For drivers of electric vehicles (EVs) in Boulder City, the free ride has come to an end.

In a recent move by the city council, which replaced the word “adjusted” with “increased” in relation to electricity costs for residents and businesses (i.e., if the cost of electricity paid by the city utility goes up, then rates go up. But if those costs go down, then rates stay the same.) there was a secondary item. In that, city staff advised the council to set up a rate structure for use of the four chargers in the parking lot outside of City Hall.

According to a staff report, since their installation, the chargers have been available for free use by anyone with an electric vehicle. On average, the cost of maintaining each charger is approximately $200 per year, and the total annual energy expenses for all four stations in FY24 amounted to $6,500. These costs have historically been subsidized by the city.

Utility Director Joseph Stubitz told the council that the fees proposed include a fixed $0.5667 daily connection fee and advised that the energy charge be set at $0.1708 per kilowatt hour (kWh). An additional final charge is an overstay fee of $0.25 per 15 minutes or $1.00 per hour for connections longer than two hours. Stubitz noted that most transactions would be completed within that time frame.

He said the fees ensure the city can recoup its costs for providing public EV charging infrastructure which amounted to $6,500 for fiscal year 2024. He noted that the Utility Advisory Committee met and unanimously approved both recommendations from staff.

In response to a question from Councilwoman Cokie Booth, Stubitz said the rates proposed were reasonable to charge for EV charging. He said the city was projected to earn approximately $6,000 per year, which would align with the goal to break even on the public chargers.

The council voted unanimously to accept the recommendation.