Driving electric? 43 new charging stations coming to region

Greater Cincinnati will see 43 new stations for charging electric vehicles, with approval of $11.1 million in federal funding.

The Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (known as OKI) on Wednesday said it OK'd awards from its Carbon Reduction Program, funded by the Biden administration's 2021 infrastructure law.

Sixteen recipients – most of them local communities – will share the funds to build the 43 stations.

Four communities will get more than $1 million each. Three plan to build four stations each – Hamilton with $1.6 million, Middletown with $1.5 million and Anderson Township with $1.2 million.

The fourth, Miami University, will receive $1 million for a station at its airport.

With this year's awards, OKI will have awarded $16.8 million in federal dollars for EV charging stations. It gave six applicants $2.5 million in 2023 and eight others $3.2 million earlier this year.

The eight-county OKI region has 160 of what are called level-two charging stations (ones that fully charge a battery overnight) and 14 fast-charging stations, the organization said. That excludes stations at hotels, car dealerships and other places only available to their customers.

Here's the full list of sites and awards:

• Anderson Twp: RecPlex, Bauer Preserve, Ohio River Trailhead, Five Mile Trailhead – $1,199,305.• Blue Ash: Madtree Parks and Rec at Summit Park – $87,658.• Cincinnati: East Price Hill, Hartwell, Madisonville NBDs – $998,238.• Cincinnati (LPA for 3CDC): 8th & Sycamore, Court & Walnut, Whex, and Ziegler Park Garages– $895,972.• Fairfield: Fairfield Community Arts Center, Fairfield Justice Center, Waterworks Park – $443,971.• Hamilton: Hamilton Justice Center, Kettering Hospital, Miami University (Hamilton) Potters Golf Course – $1,597,068.• Harrison: Harrison Community Center – $186,300.• Middletown: Middletown City Building, Jacot Park, Smith Park, downtown – $1,492,405.• Oxford: Oxford Municipal Building, Oxford Uptown Surface Lot – $905,489.• Springdale: Springdale Municipal/Springdale Elementary Campus, Springdale Parks & Rec – $480,325.• Hamilton County (LPA for CHPL): North Central, Anderson, Harrison, Sharonville, and Walnut Hills Libraries – $454,582.• MetroParks of Butler County: Rentshler Forest, Athletic Fieldhouse – $95,419.• Miami University: OXD Airport – $1,000,000.• Union Township: EPOP, Township Civic Center – $947,540.• New Richmond: Willow Street, Western Avenue – $133,445.• West Chester Township: Community Development Building, Administration Building – $211,370.