The district has set itself the goal of installing 50 charging stations by the end of 2023.

Krack said the collaboration and collaboration between elected officials, business leaders, and the district’s staff drove the process forward so quickly.

Phoenixville has even made changes to its building code and land development ordinances that require EV “make-ready” standards for new park structures.

“We changed the information in our parking regulations to make this adjustment to electric vehicle charging stations so that when people come here to Phoenixville they have the opportunity to enjoy what we have to offer, but they also have the opportunity and convenience to do it knowing that when they get here, they’ll have a place to charge their vehicles,” Krack said.

Phoenixville is currently exploring how it could eventually give homes that don’t have driveways but park on the street the ability to connect to a station.

Delco aims to reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions from its electric vehicle fleet by £400,000

A spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection told WHYY News that the agency has already supported electrification and charging projects in southeastern Pennsylvania with grants — and applications from municipalities are growing.

To date, the state DEP has awarded Delaware County Alternative Fuel Incentive Grant funds totaling $412,500 to fund 84 electric vehicles and $335,740 for 28 chargers.

“The annual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that Delaware County’s 84 electric vehicles will contribute is approximately 406,000 pounds, or 184 tons,” said a DEP spokesman.

In addition, the Delaware County Geographical Information Systems Department created a map that allows residents to locate electric vehicle charging stations throughout Delco.

DEP also gave the community of Middletown, Bucks County, $215,000 in AFIG funds for four fast-charging stations in their municipal public-use building.

Middletown officials see the community as a leader in community sustainability. It recently became the first community in Bucks County to establish a local climate action plan.

“We’re able to get data from PECO and all the different emission sources and analyze that into a kind of benchmark of where we are today. And then reference that information to set goals for where we want to be in the future. And so you’ll see in our climate action plan that we have a number of projects and activities that we’re pursuing,” said Nick Valla, deputy community leader.

The plan advances community electric vehicle initiatives. While Middletown currently has no municipal electric vehicles, the charging stations are just a harbinger of the future.

Bucks County Commissioner: ‘You can save the planet and you can save money’

On Wednesday, Middletown received platinum-level sustainability certification, which is its highest rating. The criteria focus not only on the environment but also on the management structure.

Valla will give a presentation in the fall to the Bucks County Consortium of Communities, a group of community and county officials, introducing Middletown’s sustainability efforts and ways other communities can follow suit.

He said community officials even shared their work with their peers across the state. However, he emphasized that most of the exchange of ideas took place close to home.

“Every now and then I get an email or a phone call, even just to our neighboring municipality of Bensalem [us]. The day the AFIG scholarship was announced, I got a call from her manager and he said, ‘Oh, I want to hear more about how you guys got that because we’re trying to do the same'” said Valla.

Bucks County has taken steps of its own to help shape the transition from internal combustion engines to electric powertrains. The district bought its first two electric vehicles last year. It is also testing charging stations at various county lots.

County Commissioner Bob Harvie sees a trend in the area.

“What we’ve seen as technology has gotten better and better is people realizing that you can do both, which is important — you can save the planet and you can save money,” Harvie said.

Once gas prices finally fall, Harvie is curious to see if this shift will last.