Installation of eight EV chargers completed in Tumwater

The City of Tumwater completed the installation of eight, level 2 electric vehicle chargers at several city properties, according to an update from staff to the Tumwater Public Works Committee on Wednesday, July 17. 

Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) chargers are used for residential and commercial applications, and have the capacity to charge EVs through 240V and 208V outlets, according to information from the U.S. Department of Transportation. 

Sustainability Manager Alyssa Jones Wood said two of the chargers were installed at the main fire station on Israel Road, two at the North End fire station on Linwood Avenue, two at the city’s operations yard and two at the police yard.  

Spaces for two future chargers were also stubbed out at the police station. All chargers are for the use of city-owned vehicles only. The project’s overall cost was $139,505.

Jones Wood said the project was partially funded by a grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce through the Climate Commitment Act. The department's portion was $63,000, while the remainder was covered by the city. 

The sites of the new chargers were determined by a 2023-24 assessment that evaluated how many chargers were needed and where they had to be sited to achieve the city’s fleet electrification goals. 

The assessment determined the need for 42 level 2 EV chargers to support a 70% reduction in gas consumption by 2030. 

Changes to funding 

The initial plan for the project was for the city to cover $19,298 of the costs. Jones Wood said several changes occurred that led to the city increasing its portion to $76,505. 

The portion of the expenses eligible for grant funding shrunk when plans for two EV chargers at the Old Town Center were canceled. The decision was made as staff from the parks department in the building were relocating. 

The removal of the two chargers meant $15,000 was slashed from the grant, bringing it down from $78,000 to $63,000. 

The equipment was already ordered before the change was made, so the city still ended up paying for the chargers, which it will use for the Water Resources and Sustainability Department. 

Another unplanned change was the loss of anticipated funds from Puget Sound Energy. The utility company’s Up & Go program supports public and private organizations in their fleet electrification efforts by covering a portion of the costs to build EV infrastructure. 

The city had expected to receive $40,000 from the program, but updated requirements — particularly the added need to install individual meters at each charging station — made the program cost-prohibitive. 

Jones Wood said staff were successful in finding other internal funding sources, as the city’s sustainability fund was set up in a way so that it could tap into other city funds that aligned with the aims of the project. 

Committee and council member Michael Althauser said he was glad that staff were able to fix the issue, while staying within the original budget they had planned.