Title
Authorizing the City to enter into an Electric Vehicle Public Charging Pilot Service Agreement with Xcel Energy for the electrical supply component of the Twin Cities Electric Vehicle Mobility Network.
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul (“City”) is leading the Twin Cities Electric Vehicle Mobility Network (the “project”) project which will deliver 70 electric vehicle (EV) charging hubs across Saint Paul and Minneapolis, with each hub providing both public EV charging and EV charging dedicated to use by an 150-electric vehicle carshare service that will be operated by HOURCAR; and
WHEREAS, the City is planning to deploy the Twin Cities Electric Vehicle Mobility Network in 2021; including the first phase of the carshare service; and
WHEREAS, the project will provide EV carshare as an additional transportation option in the Twin Cities to complement transit, biking, and walking; and
WHEREAS, the project will provide EV carshare service to ten ACP50 neighborhoods across the two cities where carshare is not currently an option; and
WHEREAS, the project will produce no local emissions, supporting improved air quality in our neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, the project will enable more residents to think about transitioning to electric vehicles; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul has been awarded a federal Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) grant of $4 million for the project through the Metropolitan Council’s Transportation Advisory Board regional solicitation in the 2021-2024 Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul - via the Lung Association as the lead applicant - is a subrecipient of $3,650,237 in Department of Energy funding to support deployment of the project; and
WHEREAS, the City committed to completion of the project under Council Resolution 20-1370; and
WHEREAS, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved Xcel Energy’s participation in--and contribution of--“make-ready” electrical infrastructure for this project (Docket No. E002/M-18-643); and
WHEREAS, this agreement contains a promise of indemnity in favor of Xcel, which the City finds appropriate and reasonable in this instance; and
WHEREAS, this agreement also contains a promise to pay “early buyout costs” if the City terminates the agreement or Xcel terminates the agreement because of the City’s breach; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the City Council hereby authorizes and directs the proper city officials to enter into the Electric Vehicle Public Charging Pilot Service Agreement with Xcel Energy.