The City of Hamilton is all charged up over the electrifying of transportation.

Just ask Michael Gurr.

“The U.S. is on a path to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, so many vehicles on the road will be electric,” said Gurr, Hamilton’s senior project manager. “Our city’s excited to be prepared and to get ahead of the curve.”

Earlier this year, Hamilton was awarded a $441,152 grant through the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments to install six fast electric vehicle (EV) chargers in the city: two at 141 Market Street and four at 2216 S. Erie Boulevard.

“The EV charging station sites are positioned in areas of high traffic and are used on a daily basis,” Gurr said. “And we’re currently working with the Ohio Department of Transportation to build out our EV charging network from there.”

This past June, OKI awarded $2.5 million to six cities and organizations for EV charging stations across the region. In addition to Hamilton, 3CDC ($558,751), the City of Covington ($500,000), Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport-CVG ($750,000), Green Township ($213,000), and Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services ($23,610) received grants.

The grants were provided through the Carbon Reduction Program, which Congress established as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The program’s purpose is to support projects that reduce carbon emissions from transportation-based sources.

“Carbon Reduction Program funds are suballocated to OKI from our state partners at the Indiana Department of Transportation, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the Ohio Department of Transportation,” said David Shuey, OKI’s director of information systems and analytics.

Shuey added, “OKI developed a CRP pilot program with the primary focus on building out a network of Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFCs) for electric vehicles in the OKI region that will support the widespread adoption of EVs.”

EV charging stations aren’t new to Hamilton. In 2021, through an Ohio EPA Grant, the city purchased and installed five level-two dual port EV Charging Stations powered by nearby hydroelectric dams.

EV owners can find Hamilton’s EV Chargers here: https://driver.chargepoint.com/stations/13435391

The Butler County city is well known for its “clean and green” approach to utilities and energy. Hamilton owns and operates its own electric, gas, water, and wastewater utilities. It uses hydroelectric power from the Greenup Dam; the Meldahl Dam on the Ohio River; and the Hamilton Hydraulic Dam on the Erie Canal.

“The EV revolution is upon us and we’re getting ready for it here in Hamilton,” Gurr said.

OKI is a council of local governments, business organizations and community groups committed to developing collaborative strategies, plans and programs to improve the quality of life and economic development potential of the Tri-State.