Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination

CONTACT INFORMATION: Our office is open to visitors by appointment only. Please call or email from 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
703-324-7136 TTY 711
12000 Government Center Pkwy, Suite 533
Fairfax, VA 22035
John Morrill
Director

Department Resources

Charge Up Fairfax

charge up logoCharge Up Fairfax is a program to help organizations and their members access charging for electric vehicles (EVs).

Encouraging the use of EVs and plug-in hybrid vehicles — which are better for the environment than conventional cars — is an important step toward achieving the county’s goal of community-wide carbon neutrality by 2050. Most EV owners prefer to charge at home and community associations that offer EV charging stations as an amenity are attractive to home buyers and renters. Similarly, places of worship are increasingly becoming key locations where congregants can charge their electric vehicles while attending services or events.

Charge Up Fairfax helps Fairfax County organizations address technical and financial challenges to installing Level 2 chargers.

Charge Up Fairfax is now accepting applications on a rolling basis. 
APPLY TO CHARGE UP FAIRFAX

Charge Up Fairfax Program Expanding

There are some exciting changes to the Charge Up Fairfax program, including applications being accepted on a rolling basis and expanded eligibility criteria to include places of worship and other non-profit organizations. With these changes, more organizations can now benefit from technical and financial assistance to install electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.

Learn More

Receive Charge Up Fairfax Updates

Do you want to receive notifications regarding Charge Up Fairfax – including how to submit your application – and other programs that may benefit organizations? Sign up for email notifications!

Charge Up Fairfax Resources

Learn more about community and environmental benefits, permitting and zoning guidance for community associations, choosing EV charging equipment, incentive programs, and much more!

Reflection Homes Association Install Complete

As the first participant located in an equity-designated area, Reflection Homes Association in Herndon received a $10,000 reimbursement grant to install a dual-port charging station to serve the community's 586 homes.


Charge Up Fairfax Program Overview and Responsible Party

The timeline below outlines the process for organizations that apply and are selected to participate in the Charge Up Fairfax program.

process graphic detailing how the installation process goes

Organizations qualify for the program if they meet any of the following criteria: 

  • common-interest community (e.g., a homeowners or condominium owners association), 
  • nonprofit recreational association or organization, 
  • nonprofit organization that promotes energy efficiency or provides energy efficiency services, 
  • nonprofit association or organization furnishing services to beautify or maintain communities to prevent deterioration,
  • charitable institution or association, including organizations with a religious status that will use such funds to provide community services for secular purposes located in Fairfax County. 

The county offers three flexible options for installing EV charging stations:

Grant-Only Program
The county provides reimbursement for eligible expenses, but organizations manage the entire process, including hiring a contractor and purchasing and installing the stations.

Full-Service Program
Organizations in Fairfax County accepted into the Charge Up Fairfax program will receive a site visit and assessment from an engineering firm, paid for by the county. This visit will help assess project feasibility and projected costs for installing Level 2 charging stations. Additional information about Level 2 charging stations is available on OEEC’s Electric Vehicles webpage.

Charge Up Fairfax in Combination with Dominion Energy Level 2 Program
Organizations can combine Charge Up Fairfax with Dominion Energy’s Level 2 EV Charging Program. If accepted, Dominion will offer additional incentives, while the county reimburses eligible expenses. For additional information about Dominion’s Level 2 charging program, please visit their Level 2 Charging program webpage.

Once you have selected the option that works best for you, fill out your application and we will follow up with detailed next steps.

Definitions and Acronyms:

Organization

common-interest community, nonprofit recreational association or organization, nonprofit organization that promotes energy efficiency or provides energy efficiency services, nonprofit association or organization furnishing services to beautify or maintain communities to prevent deterioration, or charitable institution or association, including places of worship
Place of Worship A faith-based organization that could include churches, mosques, temples or synagogues
Common interest community Includes homeowners or condominium owners association
EV Electric Vehicle
EVC Electric Vehicle Charging
EVCS Electric Vehicle Charging Station
EVSE Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment. EVSE is the hardware and software to supply electricity to EVs.  EVSE includes the EVCS, EV charge cords, attachment plugs, and protection. 

All organizations selected to participate in the Charge Up Fairfax program are eligible to apply for a grant to cover a portion of eligible expenses for the installation of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE). Organizations in Fairfax County that are classified as having high or very high vulnerability in the Fairfax County Vulnerability Index may be eligible for higher grant amounts.

Starting in 2025, potential grant amounts are as follows:

  Grant-Only Program Full-Service Program Combination with Dominion Energy Level 2 Program
Low Vulnerability $10,000 $8,000 $10,000*
High Vulnerability $12,000 $10,000 $12,000*


*Dominion Energy incentives are separate and contingent on acceptance into the Dominion Energy Level 2 Program

Grants will be awarded on a reimbursable basis to organizations in Charge Up Fairfax, after the EVSE is installed and operational. If grant funds are desired, organizations must contact OEEC to submit a request for grant funds and provide documentary evidence of eligible expenditures before grant funding will be disbursed. OEEC staff will verify the EVSE is complete and operational. The request for grant funds must be made within one calendar year of acceptance into Charge Up Fairfax.

Eligible expenses under Charge Up Fairfax Program:

  • Engineering design
  • EV charging equipment
  • Electrical work necessary to power or install the charging station(s) 
  • Installation costs including trenching and building penetration repair (if any)

Expenses not eligible under Charge Up Fairfax Program:

  • Equipment purchased and upgrades made to prepare the community to be EV-ready, such as solar canopies, the creation of new parking spaces, or adding a sidewalk (excludes necessary electrical work)
  • Fees incurred by attorneys, consultants, or management companies 
  • Changes in insurance premium or any charges from insurance companies
  • Operation and maintenance expenses
Equity Considerations
Organizations in Fairfax County that are classified as having high or very high vulnerability in the Fairfax County Vulnerability Index are eligible for higher grant funds.

OEEC will use GIS data to confirm whether the organization is in an area shown in the Fairfax County Vulnerability Index.

Fairfax County coordinates with program participants to help make sure Charge Up Fairfax is designed to best meet the needs of the diverse organizations throughout the county. 

As program participants move forward with the installation of their EV charging stations, success stories will be highlighted to share their experiences with the community.

Participating Organizations: 

  • Colonies at McLean
  • Encore of McLean Condominium Unit Owners Association
  • Harpers Square Cluster Association (Installed 2 chargers for 50 townhomes, December 2024)
  • Lakepointe Community Council Homeowners Association
  • Midtown North Condominium Unit Owners Association
  • Newbridge Cluster Association
  • Penderbrook Community Association (Installed 4 dual-port chargers for 1,776 homes, March 2025)
  • Reflection Homes Association (Installed 1 dual-port charger for 586 homes, May 2025)
  • Strathmeade Square Community
  • Shepherd Hills Homeowners Association
  • Washington Plaza Cluster Association
  • Waterford Square Condominium Unit Owners Association
  • Waterview Cluster Association
  • Westwood Village Unit Owners Association (Installed 2 dual-port chargers for 48 units, May 2025)
  • Windsor Park Condominium Unit Owners Association 
  • Woodlake Towers Condominium

How To Get Started:

how to get started graphic

Siting of EVSE depends on a number of factors that are specific to each participant, including:

  • proximity to the power supply,
  • parking availability and
  • parking space size, lighting, and accessibility. 

A 2012 report on Siting and Design Guidelines for Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment is available for reference. 

The Reston Association developed design guidelines for use by Reston Association Clusters, and they have made the document available as a resource for all communities.  

For Charge Up Fairfax:

  • The electricity source must be from an account paid by the participating entity. The most suitable areas for EVSE are those near a source of electricity (such as an electric utility transformer or a common use building).
  • Charging stations must be located in unreserved parking spaces owned by the participating entity. The organization will set the prices.
  • Charging stations must be located in unreserved parking spaces owned by the place of worship and the EVCS that received public funding need to be publicly accessible and cannot be limited to persons of a particular religious affiliation. The place of worship will set the prices for charging.

Organizations should review their bylaws to ensure they do not restrict or limit the installation of electric vehicle charging stations.  Additionally, participants may wish to discuss EV charging plans with their insurance company to understand how EVSE may impact the policy and whether any changes to the policy or coverage may need to be made.

The board of directors/responsible party should consider how to fund community EVSE, including whether to utilize operating funds, a reserve allocation, a special assessment, or other means. In the case of a community association, the board of directors should talk with residents about their plans for funding community EV charging stations.

In addition to the cost of construction, equipment, and electricity, participants in the program should plan to budget for the operation and maintenance of the EVCS.

The recurring charges may vary considerably depending on the business model of the EVC company and the operating agreement the community enters with the manufacturer. 

Another step toward the installation of EVSE for your organization is understanding the current and future demand by considering questions such as:

  • How many participants already own or lease an EV?  
  • How many are interested in doing so in the future?  
  • Is there widespread support for the installation of EVSE?
  • Is there any opposition to the idea of EVSE? 

While it's not a requirement, as a best practice we offer a sample survey for gathering this information. Organizations may edit or add to this survey, so it best meets the need of your organization, but our sample survey aims to capture essential points. This step is not required to apply to Charge Up Fairfax*.

Download the Sample Survey

Watch, Listen and Learn More

Want to learn more? Watch and listen to learn more about the benefits and process of the Charge Up Fairfax program.

Still Have Questions?

For any questions on the Charge Up Fairfax materials, please contact Charge Up Fairfax Program Manager, Rama Mitry, over email at OEECElectricVehicles@fairfaxcounty.gov or by phone at (571) 407-6649.

The resources and websites referenced on this webpage are intended to serve as examples and points of reference only and are not intended to imply any specific endorsement by Fairfax County or the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination.

Energy Conservation Assistance Program

If you are an organization in Fairfax County looking to make energy efficiency upgrades, the Energy Conservation Assistance Program may be for you! Organizations that qualify for Charge Up Fairfax may also qualify for the Energy Conservation Assistance Program.

Learn More


Close
Fairfax Virtual Assistant