Aurora City Council OKs funds for nine electric vehicle chargers

The Aurora City Council this week approved placing nine electric vehicle chargers across three locations in the city in the next five years.

Officials also accepted a $50,000 grant to fund youth climate projects in the next year as part of a global program across 300 participating cities.

The chargers are part of a five-year contract with Blink Network LLC, which was approved by the city council on Tuesday.

Under the approved contract, the dual-port chargers will be placed at Garfield Park, the Aurora Police Department and a parking garage along East Downer Place, according to the Tuesday meeting agenda.

Just over 70% of the $292,000 total expense for the chargers will be covered by federal reimbursement grants. City funds will pay the remaining $80,707. The reimbursement vouchers were awarded to the city in 2023 by the U.S. Department of Energy through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program.

The approval of the contract comes after nearly two years of city analysis of where to place the chargers and as the city has increased its efforts to promote electric vehicle infrastructure. Efforts to support electric vehicles date back to the city’s first sustainability plan in 2009, which was strengthened by a city commitment in 2023 to operating a safe, clean and efficient fleet.

Officials have said the new chargers aim to support the city’s electric fleet. In addition, the city wants to install the chargers in locations that would benefit residents and sit along electrical infrastructure, which would support cost-effective installation, officials said.

City officials said in the resolution proposing the contract that installing electric vehicle chargers at those locations would provide improved charging opportunities to residents and visitors for a considerably reduced cost to the city.