Changes to the EV Charging Stations

Published on December 14, 2023

Program Background:

In 2019, Dunedin joined the Duke Energy Park & Plug Pilot Program to install electric vehicle (EV) charging station infrastructure throughout the community. Duke Energy covered the costs of equipment and installation. The City Commission at the time voted for all stations to be free for users for the duration of the pilot program. This meant the City would cover the electricity costs. City Commission made this decision as it was in alignment with neighboring municipalities and created a more cohesive regional program.

The duration of the pilot program ran from 2019 to 2022. The program was extended for one year and now the program agreement term ended December 31, 2023. 

The program partners included:

• Duke Energy = Program Manager
• City of Dunedin = Site Host
• ShellRecharge (formerly Greenlots) = Network Provider
• NovaCHARGE = Equipment Manufacturer 

Ten stations were installed including eight Level-2 chargers and two DC Fast Chargers. Station locations were determined based on which City facilities had 3-phase power.

Purpose:

The purpose of the pilot program was to expand EV charging infrastructure, encourage EV use, and gather data to understand and evaluate the impact of electric vehicles on transit systems and the electric power grid.

Lessons Learned:

This pilot program also served as a way for organizations to learn about EV equipment, network systems, partnerships, maintenance, challenges, and levels of communication. The biggest issue we faced during this pilot program was network down time and response time from third party vendors to get the stations back up and running. A large lesson learned was that having too many parties involved in one program caused communication challenges and heavy delays in fixing equipment. The City is set to utilize a single vendor and keep direct contact with them for work tickets, maintenance needs, and support for other issues that may arise.

Program Changes & NEW Rate Structure for EV stations users:

Starting January 1, 2024, users are charged a fee for connecting and using the stations. The program splits the stations between the City of Dunedin and Duke Energy.

The 5-year pilot program, which offered stations free of costs for EV drivers, ended in December 2023. To keep this program financially sustainable, fees will cover the costs of the program and will create a capital reserve to expand the program over time. Users will pay a $1.50 connection fee, a $0.20* per kWh fee, and a 5% network transaction fee.  

*The price per kWh fee will change over time based on trending electricity costs and will be determined as a set rate annually.

If the vehicle is not moved once fully charged, an additional idling fee starting at $5.00 after a 30-minute grace period, and capped at $10.00 for each additional hour afterwards will be charged. Idling fees are to encourage users to charge up and then move their vehicle for the next user.

These fees will be implemented at the stations the City of Dunedin will be managing, which are the Level-2 stations at the Hale Senior Activity Center, the Dunedin Fine Art Center, City Hall, and the property of old City Hall downtown.

Duke Energy will take over ownership and be responsible for operating and managing the Fast Chargers located at the Dunedin Public Library and the Monroe Parking Garage. Duke Energy will set their own separate usage rates and idling fees, which are subject to change over time.

Level-2 Station Locations
(City of Dunedin owned and managed)

• Old City Hall (4 plugs)
• New City Hall (4 plugs)
• Hale Senior Activity Center (2 plugs)
• Dunedin Fine Art Center (2 plugs) 

Proposed new fee structure for DC Fast Chargers (Duke owned and managed):

$0.41 per kWh electricity fee *subject to change by Duke Energy over time

$1.00 per minute idling fee after 10-minute grace period

DC Fast Charger Stations Locations (Duke Energy owned and managed):

• Dunedin Public Library (1 plug)
• Monroe Street Parking Garage (1 plug) 

The City is grateful for its program partners that made this pilot program possible and is looking forward to continuing this program for residents and visitors with goals to expand the program over time. For more information and resources, please visit the City’s webpage: Dunedin EV Charging Stations