The new electric vehicle charging stations in Fountain Hills are up and running and, for the time being, there is no charge. The Town Council will review options for setting fees and consider a resolution at a future date. All town fees require a 60-day review process.

The council approved the installation of the chargers at two locations in town. One is just outside the Community Center and the second is at Fountain Park at the parking lot off El Lago Blvd., near the main restroom.

The EV charging stations are included as an objective of the Town of Fountain Hills Strategic Plan from 2017 and 2019. A previous consideration of such a project was rejected due to the cost. The town learned earlier this year that an SRP rebate program was available to governments, schools and non-profits, which will cover roughly half the cost of the installation.

The rebate covers up to $11,000 for a typical charging station ($5,500 per port). The town contacted ChargePoint, a company that has installed charging stations nationwide, including some in Scottsdale.

The total cost of the equipment and one-year service plan is $15,534. Staff is including another $28,650 for electrical installation and concrete work, for a total of $44,185. The anticipated SRP rebate would be $22,000 for the project.

The ChargePoint charging network is nationwide. People wishing to charge their vehicle with the ChargePoint station use an app to pay for the electricity used in charging the vehicle.

The town owns the charging stations and pays for the electricity to operate them. In its agreement with ChargePoint, the town would receive 90 percent of the revenue received from the stations. ChargePoint would receive 10 percent. In addition, the town would retain rights to sell advertising on the charging units, including the ability to include video displays.

Staff is researching with other communities to determine the appropriate fees for the use of the charging stations. The town can recover only the actual costs of operation, leaving the cost to customers based on the costs to provide the service.