Dane County Issues RFP to Identify Sites to Host Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations
May 15, 2025
execmedia@danecounty.gov, 608-800-1127
County Executive, County Executive
Opportunity for Local Businesses, Nonprofits and Municipalities to Expand EV Charging
The Dane County Office of Energy & Climate Change (OECC) is leading an effort, Charge Up Dane County, to ensure that all Dane County residents have access to affordable EV charging. This week OECC issued an RFP seeking site hosts to participate in the effort that is funded through the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). In total OECC aims to add affordable EV charging at 60-70 locations across the County.
“We want to see a Dane County where all residents see the benefits of our climate leadership,” said County Executive Melissa Agard. “Expanding the network of affordable EV chargers will make EV ownership feasible to more households, especially renters.”
Currently Dane County has more registered EVs per capita than any other County in Wisconsin. Dane County represents about 10% of the state’s population and about 25% of all EVs registered in Wisconsin are registered here in Dane County. That higher level of EV ownership also creates a more robust used EV market.
Locally and nationally, most of the households that currently own EVs do an estimated 90% of their EV charging at home, in their personal garages. A key priority for Dane County is expanding affordable EV charging for the households that do not have personal garages. The County also aims to expand EV charging in rural areas and near multi-modal sites like Park & Ride lots.
A household that charges an EV in their personal garage pays about $0.05/mile for the electricity that powers their car. This compares to higher costs of $0.12/mile for a typical gas car (assuming 25 mpg) or $0.15/mile for a pickup truck or SUV (assuming 22 mpg). That means the cost of EV ownership is lower for a household that charges at home. The math is more complicated, though for renters because it depends on whether they can access affordable (albeit slower) charging similar to what homeowners use or if the renters have to access more expense fast charging. If a renter uses fast charging it can cost up to $0.20/mile, which is more than a gas car.
Dane County’s OECC will focus on slower more affordable chargers.
“Our aim is to give renters access to charging at costs similar to homeowners,” explains Kathy Kuntz, Director of OECC. “We aim to fill gaps in the current market so we are focused on Level 2 charging, the kind that most consumers use at home, rather than fast charging”
Under the Charge Up Dane County grant, the County will select host sites and then work with those hosts to finalize a charging station design. Pending available federal funds, the host will get charging stations installed at their site, plus operations and maintenance support for five years.
“The Charge Up Dane County RFP is a great opportunity for our community. Small businesses, local faith communities, multi-family buildings and even local governments can get free charging infrastructure through this program,” said Agard.
More information about the opportunity and a link to the RFP are at https://daneclimateaction.org/Initiatives/Charge-Up-Dane-Co/Site-Host-for-EV-Charging