Board tables proposed EV charging rate increase after extended debate

Trustees debated and ultimately tabled a proposal to change rates at village-owned Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations, after an extended discussion at the March meeting.

A trustee proposed setting the new price at 45¢ per kilowatt hour with a $5 fee for vehicles parked more than three hours. The proponent said charging by kilowatt-hour better matches cost because charging speed and per-hour draw vary by vehicle. He cited this year’s usage figures — roughly 43.6 megawatt-hours and about 4,500 user sessions — and said the change would move the village closer to breaking even on station costs, which have risen with electricity prices.

The mayor questioned whether 45¢ per kWh is appropriate for Level 2 chargers, saying that price is more typical for high-power Level 3 fast charging and could "drive customers away" from the village stations. Another trustee argued governments should not continue subsidizing EV charging indefinitely and urged rates that recover costs.

Trustees also discussed vendor-cloud and service fees required to operate metered charging (the presenter said the cloud and service structure require a vendor contract and noted an 18‑month billing invoice that complicates annual budgeting). Staff said they would seek an annualized service number from the vendor and review whether the village can request a tariff change with the local utility to remove on-demand/demand charges that currently raise costs for charging equipment.

After questions and cross-checking of figures, trustees amended the motion to delay action. The board directed staff to return next month with annualized service/cloud costs, clearer meter-derived usage figures and the results of any utility-rate inquiries; the motion to set a new rate was tabled.