Washington sets rate for EV station

WASHINGTON — A resolution passed by the city council Tuesday night set a rate on Washington’s recently installed electric vehicle charging station in the square. The fee is set at 22 cents per kilowatt-hour, slightly more than the actual cost of operation to the city.

Council Member Bethany Glinsmann said the rate was lower than most in the area, compared to 25 cent average rates at Mt. Pleasant’s municipal stations, and 29 cent rates for most stations in Fairfield. Glinsmann recommended making the first hour of charging free, a model used by the city of Muscatine.

“I think the free charger is a good carrot to get people to come downtown,” she said. “The average usage per hour is like, six kilowatt-hours, so that’s (about) a dollar an hour, we’re not talking about big bucks here.”

While other city officials said they weren’t against incentives like first-hour free charging, City Administrator Deanna McCusker said the council should hold off on such decisions for now.

“I think we wait and just see how much we use it,” she said. “We can get numbers off of it and see how much we’re actually getting, how much we’re charging. There’s a lot we don’t know, and we won’t know until we get more use, for maybe a year, and then we can revisit.”

Mayor Jaron Rosien cautioned against bending over backward for the new infrastructure.

“I’ll be candid, I like that we would have this amenity to offer people,” he said. “But as we have a diverse community with diverse points of view, I have also received the point of view that is not interested in using taxpayer money to subsidize electric vehicles for other people.”

Rosien said the 22 cent rate made for a middle ground.

“I do like that the rate that’s proposed is less than the rate of others that are charging for it,” he said. “It’s not free, but it’s reasonable.”

The charging station is scheduled to come online by Friday, Sept. 9.

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com