Marion slows down on plans for new electric vehicle chargers | Sippican

Oct 23, 2024

MARION — Marion officials decided Wednesday, Oct. 16 to hold off on moving forward with plans to install fast chargers for electric vehicles throughout town.

Plans presented to the Marion Select Board by Inovis Energy, an energy-efficiency solutions company, proposed level 3 fast charger stations at four sites — the current Department of Public Works building, on Wells Road, the Benjamin D. Cushing Community Center and town hall.

The plans outlined two options to get the project started: applying to Eversource or partnering with a third party.

Applying to Eversource entailed waiting for more funding for utility and equipment incentives to become available. Gabriel Andreson, Inovis Energy’s president and co-founder, said it may take as long as two years for an application to be approved.

The second option proposed a service model and revenue-sharing agreement with a third party partner, according to Andreson, who said it was a “glorified financing offer.”

Unlike option one, the charging equipment would be able to be installed immediately. Marion would pay a monthly fee and pay dispensed electricity while receiving 70% of the profit, according to Andreson.

Through the Eversource route, the town would not be responsible for dispensed electricity while the revenue share would be smaller, Andreson said.

But the timeline of the project would be wholly dependent on incentive funding from Eversource becoming available.

Andreson recommended the town allow Inovis Energy to apply to Eversource, for what is essentially a rebate application, with “no risk” in order to “get in line” when more funding becomes available.

The Marion Select Board declined to move forward with having the company apply for the charging stations. The option with the third party provider was also deemed unrealistic for a municipality to pursue in terms of appropriations and needing to pay for the electricity dispensed at the chargers.

Select Board member Randy Parker asked if there was data available regarding Inovis Energy’s already-installed charging stations projects, which wasn’t immediately presented during the meeting.

“We’re dealing with taxpayers here, and we can't gamble with their funding,” Parker said. “We have to make sure there’s a real revenue source at the end of this, so we’ve got to see some real numbers as an example, something that you've got out there that’s working.”

Inovis Energy’s Ryan McAuliffe said municipalities are getting electric vehicle chargers “because it drives commerce throughout town,” as drivers stop by to charge their cars.

“Where Marion is on the map, obviously with [Interstate 195, Route 6 and Route 105], there’s a lot of opportunity for you guys to take advantage of that traffic, get some more EV drivers coming to town and just have more people visiting regularly,” McAuliffe said.

No municipal-owned level 3 chargers have been fully installed in the ground yet by Inovis Energy, though there are plans in Wrentham and Franklin, according to Andreson.

Parker said the project would need to be brought to Town Meeting.

“I think the taxpayers should vote for it,” Parker said. “It’s taking up real estate that they own, and it’s an uncertain revenue source right now. So we’ve got a lot to look at, and I’m not comfortable signing on anything at this point.”