Colorado Energy Office Launches Grant Program to Reduce Cost of Installing Home Electric Vehicle Chargers

Funding will support rural and municipal utility rebate programs for electric panel and wiring upgrades; advancing EV adoption by making home chargers more affordable

Statewide - Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024 - The Colorado Energy Office (CEO) launched the EV Home Charge grant program Tuesday to save Colorado residents primarily in rural communities money on installing at-home electric vehicle (EV) chargers. This program will help Coloradans cover the costs of electric panel and wiring upgrades - often the most expensive part of EV charger installation. A total of $500,000 in EV Home Charge funding is available for the 2024-2025 fiscal year through the state's Community Access Enterprise.

"Transportation is among the leading sources of air pollution in Colorado, making widespread EV adoption essential to achieve our ambitious climate goals," said CEO Executive Director Will Toor. "For many Coloradans, access to charging is a barrier to driving an EV; especially in rural communities where there are often fewer public charging options. As the state continues to expand its public charging network, this program will allow rural Coloradans to enjoy the benefits of driving an EV by ensuring they can also access reliable, convenient, and affordable EV charging at home."

Municipal utilities and electric cooperatives are eligible to apply for EV Home Charge grants to support utility rebate programs for residential electric panel and wiring upgrades to accommodate Level 2 electric vehicle chargers. By limiting eligibility to municipal utilities and cooperatives, this program expands resources beyond the investor-owned utilities and enables support for robust incentive programs, largely in rural communities.

Awarded utilities and cooperatives will use this funding to provide rebates to eligible customers. Utilities may offer standard rebates up to $500 each for both paneling and wiring upgrades (totaling $1,000 per customer), as well as enhanced incentives for income-qualified customers up to $750 each (totaling $1,500 per customer). To qualify for enhanced incentives, a customer must be currently enrolled in a low-income assistance program, such as the Colorado Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

CEO will accept applications for EV Home Charge grants until December 13, 2024 at 5:00 PM MT. Program guidelines and information on how to apply are available on the EV Home Charge webpage.

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