PORT ANGELES — The City of Port Angeles has made modifications to its municipal code that allow private companies to establish electric vehicle charging stations.
The Port Angeles City Council also has established rates for charging stations that will be available at City Hall, 321 E. Fifth St., beginning Jan. 1.
Prior to the approved modifications, the code allowed only the city to sell electric power. The new code allows for the sale of privately owned and operated EV charging stations.
“Electric vehicles are here to stay, and communities need to increase the charging infrastructure to make it an attractive place to live and visit,” Mike Healy, interim Public Works director, told council members Tuesday night.
“The City of Port Angeles should not be in the business of large-scale EV charging, but it can act as a willing facilitator for this necessary service to the benefit of our residents and visitors alike,” he said.
By modifying the code, the city allows the cost of the EV charging infrastructure to be recouped by the operator, which will ideally increase EV charging availability within the city over time, officials said.
The code modification also makes changes to parking laws, allowing law enforcement to ticket non-electric cars parked in EV charging spots as well as EV cars parked in those spots but not connected to the charging ports.
In addition, the council approved rates for charging stations at Port Angeles City Hall, which were installed at a cost of $48,533 after receiving a grant from the state Department of Ecology.
The council unanimously approved the rate for these stations at 38 cents per kilowatt hour with a $1 penalty charge for every hour over six hours.
“The EV industry is evolving away from per hour to per kilowatt hour as per hour generates unfair costs for slower charging vehicles,” Healy explained.
That means the cost to charge an EV at City Hall for six hours will be $2.75, which is commensurate with other areas that offer EV charging.
Walmart charges customers 43 cents per kilowatt hour, which comes out to about $3.10 after six hours.
Clallam Transit charges $18 an hour for its Level 3 fast charger and $1.50 an hour for its smaller charging stations.
Area bed and breakfasts and hotels that offer EV charging charge a flat $18 fee for overnight charging or charge $1.50 an hour for 12 hours, according to a memo by city staff members.
The EV chargers at City Hall are designed to be self-sustaining with revenues earned from the chargers covering the costs to operate them.
It is likely that, in five years, the chargers will need to be replaced at an estimated cost of $61,942, city staff members said.
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Reporter Ken Park can be reached at kpark@peninsuladailynews.com.
