CINCINNATI — New electric vehicle charging stations will soon power up in Ohio and Kentucky thanks to nearly $2.5 million in awards from the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments, OKI announced on Thursday.

New federal Carbon Reduction Program funds will support the construction of publicly accessible charging locations in the region. Congress established the Carbon Reduction Program as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

With the program’s first year of funds in 2023, six OKI partners will receive grants to build charging stations at places including parking facilities, government offices and public parks, according to a press release.

The following projects were selected for funding from OKI’s Carbon Reduction Program:

• CVG Airport in northern Kentucky will receive $750,000 to place four DCFC stations at the rideshare vehicle staging lot on Lincoln Road.
• 3CDC in Ohio will receive $558,751 to locate Level 2 EV charging stations at five parking facilities in Over-the-Rhine and the Central Business District: Washington Park Garage, Mercer Garage, 1400 Vine Surface Lot, Fountain Square Garage, Fifth and Race Garage
• The City of Covington, Kentucky, will receive $500,000 for placing a mix of Level 2 and Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFCs) at four parking facilities: Rivercenter Garage, Mid-town Garage, Pershing Lot, Philadelphia St. Lot
• The City of Hamilton, Ohio, will receive $441,152 to place four DCFCs at the City’s Public Works facility and Compress Natural Gas filling station and two DCFCs at its 141 Market Street parking lot.
• Ohio's Green Township will receive $213,000 to place two DCFC stations at the Government Complex parking lot adjacent to Veteran’s Park.
• Ohio's Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services will receive $32,610 to place four Level 2 chargers at their Civic Center Dr. location.

Each grant awarded supports up to 80% of a project’s cost, with 20% coming from locally sourced funds.

“The future of transportation has already been decided by manufacturers and demonstrated by a growing public consensus, with 71% of Americans interested in buying or leasing an EV, according to Consumer Reports,” said David Shuey, director of Information Systems and Analytics. “This growing public demand for EVs makes it crucial to build a charging network that is used by the publiork.

CVG Airport's CEO, Candace McGraw, said their campus has been actively pursuing an expanded EV charging network.

“We are seeing a growing demand from CVG passengers, employees and ride share companies," McGraw said. "Thanks to the leadership of OKI through the Carbon Reduction Program, we will now be able to leverage these funds to prepare for continued EV demand at CVG.”

As the adoption of EVs continues to grow, building out a regional charging network across Cincinnati and northern Kentucky has become critical. OKI’s Carbon Reduction Program is designed to fill gaps, specifically in places where charging options would not otherwise be built.

“Over 25,000 cars drive by our administration and Veterans Park complex daily. Placement of these charging stations near Veteran’s Park will be strategically located to both residents and visitors of Green Township,” said Tony Rosiello, chairman of the Green Township Board of Trustees. “As I-74 / I-275 expressways are just minutes away, accessibility and peace of mind would be paramount in drivers’ minds.”