OEEC News and Events

Today the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination (OEEC) announced five additional communities selected for the Charge Up Fairfax program, an initiative to help community associations install electric vehicle charging stations to be shared by residents and their guests. The newly-selected communities are: Reflection Homes Association (Dranesville District) Shepherd Hills Homeowners Association (Mount Vernon District) Newbridge Cluster Association (Hunter Mill District) Waterview Cluster Association (Hunter Mill District) Westwood Village UOA (Hunter Mill District) These communities will receive technical support in the form of a site assessment by an engineering firm. If the community proceeds with the purchase and installation of Level 2 electric vehicle charging station(s), they will hire a contractor to perform the necessary permitting, electrical upgrades, installation and final inspection.  Once their EV chargers are operational, the community can seek a grant from OEEC to partially reimburse the cost of the installation – up to $10,000 for communities in equity-designated areas. “Getting more people to switch from gas-powered vehicles to electric and plug-in hybrids is critical to cut carbon emissions and improve air quality,” said OEEC Director John Morrill. “Charge Up Fairfax is helping to expand the local charging infrastructure and to make it easier for residents to choose clean energy vehicles.” Electric vehicles, or EVs, are better for the environment and less expensive to fuel and maintain than gas-powered vehicles. Rebate and incentive programs for the purchase of EVs – including federal tax credits for new and used vehicles that can be applied at point-of sale – are reducing the cost of EVs and driving up demand.  The convenience of at-home charging makes EV ownership more practical, but that can be a barrier for residents of community associations who may not have access to electric power near their parking space. Charge Up Fairfax helps address this gap for these communities, which can include HOAs, condominiums, clusters or co-ops. The OEEC is already working with 10 community associations who were part of the pilot phase in 2023. Two of those communities will be installing EV charging stations this summer. A virtual roundtable is also being planned for later this year in which pilot participants will share their experience and lessons-learned with other communities that are considering EV charging stations. The next application period for Charge Up Fairfax will open in September. More information about the Charge Up Fairfax program is available on the OEEC website.