In August of 2021, Lisa Ellis, the Director of Business Development from the Borough of Madison, communicated with Margaret Berei, a campaign coordinator with Environment New Jersey, to better understand their past and ongoing experiences with electric vehicle charging station installation.
Madison’s electrification process began in late 2018 when the Environmental Commission came to the Borough Administration with compelling information. They spoke passionately about the necessity for Madison to create public electric vehicle charging infrastructure to help prepare their citizens and town moving forward. This event sparked Madison’s installation process.
In February 2019, guided by dedicated and knowledgeable local volunteers, the town applied for the It Pay$ To Plug In grant sponsored by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). The town was awarded the full amount requested, and then they used these funds to purchase 5 dual port charging stations. These stations were installed, with the advisers mindful of their location. When choosing the charging locations, Lisa explained that they considered the spot’s visibility, accessibility, and, potentially, the ease of moving electric infrastructure to the site. However, even after selecting the locations, station placement can be moved if necessary. Later during the installation process, Lisa described how the original location of one of the five stations had to be reconsidered due to an issue with electricity access.
Another factor municipalities must consider during electric vehicle charging installation is the source and cost of labor. Unlike other towns, Madison has its own electric utility. This allowed the Borough to limit installation costs by utilizing their own municipal staff. With the installation process coming to an end, charging stations were all fully operational by the fall of 2020.
When asked about any major issues during their installation process, Lisa responded that the installations went smoothly and were met with no opposition. Looking towards the future, Madison wants to increase their charging infrastructure. The aforementioned five stations are currently the extent of Madison’s public electric vehicle infrastructure, but the town is in the works of acquiring 5 more, once again aided by a grant from the It Pay$ To Plug In program.
Concluding our communication with Lisa, we asked her, based on Madison’s experiences, what municipalities should know in Morris County that are beginning their installation process. She responded that towns should remember to look for available grants, as did Madison, especially through the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection that would help fund the charging infrastructure. Finally, Lisa explains that since electric vehicles are the future of automobility, “Setting up the infrastructure as soon as possible will help your community be prepared going forward.”