SRP Boosts City of Phoenix’s Effort to Install Electric Vehicle Chargers at Public Libraries Across the City
New Justice40 Rebate supports underserved communities with more access to public charging
In a major initiative that began in 2023, the City of Phoenix, with support from SRP, has successfully installed electric vehicle (EV) chargers at six Phoenix Public Library locations throughout the city. These six locations are within SRP’s service territory, and each charging station offers two charging ports for library visitors to plug in.
The installation of EV chargers at library locations expands access to EV chargers for library customers and residents and supports the City of Phoenix’s Transportation Electrification Action Plan (TEAP) goal of installing 500 city-hosted public charging stations by 2030.
As the largest provider of electricity in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, SRP played a pivotal role in the initiative by providing financial rebates for each new or upgraded charger, as well as guidance and support throughout the planning and implementation process.
"SRP has been there every step of the way, providing invaluable knowledge and expertise as we plan and deploy our EV strategy across Phoenix and at our library branches,” said Karen Apple, EV Program Manager for the City of Phoenix, “These installations represent a big step forward in our effort to improve air quality and power a clean future.”
“Installing these chargers was a top priority for us,” added Lee Franklin, Community Relations Manager of the Phoenix Public Library. “The rebates, including SRP’s Disadvantaged Community EV Charger Rebate program, assists us in staying within budget while also improving access to EV chargers across Phoenix.”
Phoenix Public Library received $56,000 in rebates from SRP. This included $8,000 through the federal Justice40 Disadvantaged Community program, which offers a bonus incentive for EV charger projects in areas that are considered marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution.
“It’s truly a pleasure to work with partners like the City of Phoenix who share the same goals – to making EVs more accessible and improving sustainability in the community,” said Terry Rother, Manager of Electric Vehicle Programs at SRP. “This project is helping the City of Phoenix get closer to realizing its goal of 500 public EV chargers while also making a tangible difference for the people who live and work here.”
With support from partners like SRP, the City of Phoenix is acting on many other fronts to improve air quality, from electrifying its own fleet of vehicles and expanding employee charging opportunities to ensuring at least 40% of transportation electrification funding benefits underserved communities. The effort also includes pursuing additional funds through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant.
“Beyond the obvious benefits for residents, cleaning up our air also provides considerable economic impacts by making Phoenix more attractive for businesses considering opening an office here,” said Apple.
As part of SRP’s updated 2035 Sustainability Goals, SRP plans to support the adoption of 1 million EVs in SRP’s service territory and manage 90% of EV charging by 2035 through price plans, dispatchable load management, original equipment manufacturer integration, connected smart homes, behavioral and other emerging programs. This is increased from SRP’s previous goal to support 500,000 EVs in SRP's service territory in the same timeframe.
SRP is a community-based, not-for-profit public power utility and the largest electricity provider in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, serving approximately 1.1 million customers. SRP provides water to about half of the Valley’s residents, delivering more than 244 billion gallons of water (750,000 acre-feet) each year, and manages a 13,000-square-mile watershed that includes an extensive system of reservoirs, wells, canals and irrigation laterals.