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EV Infrastructure Community Listening Workshops
Thank you for joining us as we discussed, explored, and identified potential hosts for public charging infrastructure in our region.
The workshops aimed to both (1) provide community members with resources on Electric Vehicles (EVs) and EV Charging Infrastructure and (2) garner community feedback to help create a Centre County EV Readiness Plan for logistical and productive infrastructure. The first hour+ was presentations followed by engaging mapping exercises and the opportunity for attendees to meet with EV owners.
Who attended? Property owners, businesses, organizations and community members interested in learning more of about hosting EV chargers, and/or playing a role in prioritizing uses and areas where chargers should be located across Centre County.
Why? Centre County is projected to receive up to $2 million from Pennsylvania’s NEVI program for electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure deployment to improve corridor connections and community charging. See details. The workshops are being held for the community to be involved in the EV infrastructure planning process.
Workshop Agenda
All workshops consisted of mostly the same content as outlined below with one focused discussion topic at each workshop.
- Welcome
- Introduction of PRCC and preview of Charge@Work resource
- Basic EV knowledge and overview of installing an EV charger (electricity, payment, process, etc.) [PRCC]
- Funding for small businesses to implement charging stations: NEVI and DEP programs for EVs, AFIG
- Wrap up - Connect to Centre County, explain mapping and ranking activities, and review Free site assessment offer [CCMPO]
Focused discussion topic, 10-15 min:
- April 16: Workforce development happenings and opportunities
- April 30: Fleet transitions – process, return on investment
- May 7: Transportation Updates in the Moshannon Valley Region
Community Discussion
We had engaged community members and good dialogue at all three workshops. For the third workshop we got TV coverage on the local news on May 7, 2025.
Workshop #1 @ CPI in Pleasant Gap on April 16th
Attendees consisted of representatives from businesses, Penn State, local government and the community.
Discussions that occurred during and after the speakers focused mainly on charging basics and the cost of charging. Attendees had concerns about funding the chargers, the price per kWh and who regulates that, and the gas tax and how that equates to charging.
Workshop #2 at Holiday Inn Express in State College on April 30th
Attendees consisted of representatives from Penn State, local government and the community. (Major power outage resulted in business representatives who registered being unable to attend.)
Discussions focused on charging locations (grocery stores would be good candidates for fast charging but with lower delivery rating such as 50kw), different charging companies, and the distinction between public and private charging. A representative from National Car Charging addressed questions on charging consistency (NACS) and had a ChargePoint charger available for demonstration purposes. There were also conversations about charging companies and the potential partnerships that Centre County could try to engage with such as IONNA who renovates abandoned gas stations and turns them into charging locations. Concerns were brought up about private chargers that are listed as public on apps/websites and the issues drivers have with the inconsistency.
Workshop #3 at CenClear in Philipsburg on May 7th
Attendees consisted of representatives from local government, the Philipsburg Revitalization Corporation, and the community.
This workshop was broadened to discuss various transportation topics because our partners suggested things like safety and roadway connections could help bring more stakeholders to the workshop. A key question raised was whether NEVI's community charging amenity requirements would exclude Philipsburg locations from funding. PennDOT offered alternative location suggestions, aligning with the attendee's goal of attracting Route 322 travelers to downtown Philipsburg for economic benefit. A councilman from Philipsburg Borough was focused on the no-longer-planned Corridor O highway connector and its potential impact on Philipsburg traffic and safety.