New Grant Program Puts A Charge into Door County Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Efforts
February 2, 2023. Destination Door County (DDC) is excited to announce the launch of a new Electric Vehicle Charging Station Mini-Grant Program. Awards in the amount of $1,000 are available to any Door County business, non-profit organization, or government entity wishing to add or upgrade their public-use electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Applications will be accepted beginning at 8 AM on February 3 and will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis, assuming all eligibility requirements are met. The application process will re-open quarterly, with up to eight mini-grants awarded each quarter this year.
Julie Gilbert, DDC’s President & CEO, said this new program is part of a broader effort identified in the organization’s 2023 strategic plan. “This year we have identified sustainable development as one of three key pillars we are focusing on, and these mini-grants provide our community a new opportunity that we are excited to offer,” Gilbert said. “Being able to provide enhanced community support through this program, and others like our Community Investment Fund, gives us an opportunity to show local residents how tourism dollars can benefit all of us,” she continued.
The Electric Vehicle Charging Station Mini-Grant Program is being administered under DDC’s Care for Door County initiative, which began in 2021. Care for Door County focuses on cultural, quality-of-life, and eco-focused initiatives to help protect and care for the county everyone loves and is also part of DDC’s enhanced tourism management efforts.
“We’re always searching for ways to better meet the needs of today’s traveler and resident,” says Morgan Rusnak, DDC’s community engagement manager who is facilitating the program. “Being able to support those who are creating a more robust network of EV charging station options is an exciting step in that process,“ Rusnak continued about the impact she hopes the program has within the community.
This is not the first time Door County’s tourism marketing and management organization has focused on electric vehicle infrastructure. DDC installed the first public electric vehicle charging stations in Door County back in 2014 at the Door County Welcome Center in Sturgeon Bay. They remain operational and are now part of a larger network of more than 50 EV charging stations which can be found throughout the county.
The Electric Vehicle Charging Station Mini-Grant Program is scheduled to run through the end of 2023, with the possibility of extending the program into the future.
Additional program details and the online application can be found at https://www.doorcounty.com/care-for-door-county/sustainability-initiatives.
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Program/Media Contact:
Morgan Rusnak, Community Engagement Manager, Destination Door County
morgan@doorcounty.com or 920-818-1138.
