At Thursday’s Muscatine City Council meeting, Muscatine Power and Water (MPW) leadership updated councilmembers about the Utility’s ongoing strategy to support the adoption of electric vehicles (EV’s) in the Muscatine community.
Guided by MPW’s Electric Vehicle Stakeholders group – comprised of local industry and business representatives – the Utility has implemented several rebate programs and invested in infrastructure in response to growing interest in electric vehicles in the Muscatine area.
General Manger, Gage Huston, says MPW’s EV strategy will ready the community as electric vehicles become more commonplace. “The demand for EV’s will continue to grow as interest in clean technology grows. We want to support community interest with investments in infrastructure and rebate program offerings — making the purchase of an electric vehicle more attractive.”
Adoption of EV’s and Plug-in-Hybrid Vehicles (PHEV) has increased over the last year from 46 to 56 in Muscatine County and from 4,550 to 5,881 in Iowa.
Several rebate opportunities are available, with the most generous being the ‘early adopter incentive’. This incentive was recently expanded from five $1,500 rebates to ten rebates. The rebates will be awarded for the purchase of a new battery electric vehicle (BEV) or PHEVs. To qualify, the vehicle must be new, registered in Muscatine County and the owner must be an MPW electric customer. All customer classes are eligible, rebates will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Other residential programs for rebates/incentives include additional support for BEVs and PHEVs and access to MPW’s interest-free loan program. Commercial/Industrial programs are also available. Learn more about MPW’s EV rebates and incentives.
The investment in infrastructure — supported by grants — includes two charging stations to be installed in downtown Muscatine. One charging station will be installed at the Musser Public Library, the second location at the Merrill Hotel lot located on Chestnut St. A potential third site is being considered on the north side of Muscatine.
“The Utility will continue to explore ways to support the growth of electric vehicle usage in Muscatine and be responsive to customer needs,” shared Huston.
In 2020, the Utility added its first battery electric vehicle, a Chevy Bolt, dubbed the EV-1 or “Evie”, to its fleet and installed a Level II EV charging station at its business office at 3205 Cedar Street. Moving forward, MPW plans to include additional EVs to its fleet.
Residents and businesses are encouraged to contact Paul Burback, energy services advisor, at
(563) 262-3221 for details on EV’s or MPW’s rebate programs.
“The Utility will continue to explore ways to support the growth of electric vehicle usage in Muscatine and be responsive to customer needs,” shared Huston.
In 2020, the Utility added its first battery electric vehicle, a Chevy Bolt, dubbed the EV-1 or “Evie”, to its fleet and installed a Level II EV charging station at its business office at 3205 Cedar Street. Moving forward, MPW plans to include additional EVs to its fleet.
Residents and businesses are encouraged to contact Paul Burback, energy services advisor, at 563-262-3221 for details on EVs or view MPW’s EV rebate program.
