NORTH TEXAS ELECTRIC VEHICLE INFRASTRUCTURE

CALL FOR PROJECTS

GUIDELINES

Updated: October 13, 2025

North Central Texas Council of Governments 616 Six Flags Drive Arlington, TX 76011 www.nctcog.org/aqfunding AQgrants@nctcog.org

NCTCOG, 32

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION & PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) is offering approximately $12 million in grant funding for deployment of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations located in the NCTCOG 16 county region. NCTCOG was awarded these funds by the Federal Highway Administration as part of the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Community Grant Program.

NCTCOG is a voluntary association of, by and for local governments, established to assist in regional planning across North Central Texas. NCTCOG's purpose is to strengthen both the individual and collective power of local governments and to help recognize regional opportunities, eliminate unnecessary duplication, and make joint decisions. The full 16-county planning area includes Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Erath, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rockwall, Somervell, Tarrant, and Wise counties.

All but Erath, Navarro, Palo Pinto, and Somervell counties also exist within the 12-county Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Metropolitan Planning Area (MPA), for which NCTCOG serves as the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). The MPO is comprised of the NCTCOG Transportation Department, NCTCOG Executive Board, Regional Transportation Council (RTC), and several technical committees. The MPO works closely with regional, state, and federal partners to plan and recommend transportation projects that will improve mobility and encourage more efficient land use, all while minimizing negative impacts on the region's air quality to support local efforts to attain federal ozone standards across a 10-county ozone nonattainment area.

NCTCOG also serves as the host agency for the Department of Energy (DOE)-designated DFW Clean Cities Coalition (DFWCC) and was one of the first regions to be designated as part of the DOE Clean Cities and Communities initiative in 1995. DFWCC works to reduce transportation energy use and improve air quality by providing guidance to fleets and other drivers about clean vehicle fuels/technologies, coordinating infrastructure planning and readiness, and facilitating best practices around transportation-energy integration.

The purpose of this project is to add approximately 100 publicly accessible EV charging ports across the 16-county NCTCOG region, with emphasis on filling gaps in the existing infrastructure network and achieving more equal access to charging stations for all drivers in or through the region. All sites will be built on properties owned by public sector entities, and priority will be given to locations that meet the Selection Criteria outlined on page 14. NCTCOG has employed a Charging Station “Deployment Dream Team,” Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., to streamline implementation by overcoming “soft cost” delays. The work of the Deployment Dream Team will include assisting public agencies in developing their applications and coordinating efforts between awarded applicants, utilities, NCTCOG, and awarded EV charging station vendors. Contact information for the Kimley-Horn Deployment Dream Team staff can be found on page 19.

Program requirements detailed in this document will apply to all grant recipients under this program. Potential applicants should consider these conditions carefully when evaluating whether to submit a grant application. NCTCOG reserves the right to withhold grant payment or request return of funds if these requirements are not met and/or not sufficiently documented.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Applications for funding will be evaluated and awarded on a competitive basis. The application deadline is 5 pm Friday, October 31, 2025. All applications received in-hand by this deadline will be evaluated competitively only among other applications. See the “Application Process” section for more details about selection criteria.

Successful completion of this project requires collaboration and cooperation between NCTCOG, public sector entities whose sites are selected through this Call for Projects, vendor(s), utilities, and authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) over permitting of awarded sites. To assist in streamlining and expediting implementation, the Deployment Dream Team will provide implementation support. The roles and responsibilities of key parties involved throughout the projects are as follows:

· NCTCOG: Administer the Call for Projects; Issue subaward agreements to selected public agencies; Conduct federally compliant procurement(s) for EV charging station vendor(s); Provide reimbursement of federal share, including up to 80% cost share of initial deployment and up to 20% cost share of operations and maintenance (O&M) costs; Ensure fulfillment of federal reporting requirements

· Public Agency Site Owners: Apply to CFP; If awarded, execute subaward agreements with NCTCOG to implement under a subrecipient structure; Assist with developing vendor procurement(s) and/or selecting vendor(s) (if desired); Contract with chosen vendor(s); Provide property on which chargers will be built; Cash-flow federal cost share; Adhere to federal flow down requirements; Assume ownership of station; Ensure 5 years of operation; May revenue share with vendor

· EV Charging Station Vendor(s): Contract with subrecipient public agencies; Provide non-federal share, including at least 20% of initial deployment costs and at least 80% of O&M; Ensure at least 97% uptime; Provide required charger utilization and uptime reporting; May collect revenue as return on investment and revenue share with public agency site host

· Deployment Dream Team (Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.): Assist public agencies with developing CFP applications and risk assessments; Provide “fatal flaw” analysis of submitted locations; Guide all parties throughout implementation to expedite and streamline deployment, particularly by assisting with coordination with utilities and AHJs.

Exhibit 1. North Central Texas Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Call for Projects Roles

SCHEDULE

The following table illustrates the expected schedule for the Call for Projects, project selection and approval, and implementation. All projects are intended to be implemented and have final equipment, construction, and installation reimbursement requests submitted by one year from the subrecipient agreement execution date.

Exhibit 2. Call For Projects Schedule

Call for Projects Application Workshops

Grand Hall Banquet Facility, 1700 Veterans Memorial Pkwy, Lancaster, TX 75134 2:00-3:30pm

Cliff Keheley Room, 500 N Galloway Avenue, Mesquite, Texas 75149 10:00-11:30am

(14 Weeks from CFP opening)

Transmittal of Agreements for Execution NCTCOG; As Soon as Practicable Upon Executive Board Authorization

Milestone Responsible Party and Target Date (if applicable)

NCTCOG Procurement of Vendor(s) NCTCOG; As Soon As Practicable Upon Consultation with Subrecipients; Early 2026

Reimbursement Approval NCTCOG; Within 45 Days of Receipt of Complete Reimbursement Request

ELIGIBILITY

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Eligible applicants include public sector entities (e.g. local governments, transit agencies, school districts, public colleges or universities, etc.) anywhere in the NCTCOG 16-county region. Charging infrastructure must be installed on property owned by the eligible applicant and located within the 16-county NCTCOG region. This includes sites within Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Erath, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rockwall, Somervell, Tarrant, and Wise counties. Specific funding pools are set aside for sites in Erath, Palo Pinto Navarro, and Somervell counties. Agencies that exist partly inside and partly outside of these counties are eligible if the address of the proposed charging station is within the boundaries of an eligible county.

Please note that the set-asides for Erath, Palo Pinto, and Somervell counties are pending FHWA approval. However, NCTCOG is optimistic that the funding will be approved and is accepting applications from all 16 counties through this CFP.

All applicants must submit an online risk assessment by the application deadline in accordance with provisions under the Office of Management and Budget’s Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR 200). The risk assessment is available at www.surveymonkey.com/r/2025CFI. This assessment includes the following elements:

· Financial/organizational capacity

· History of performance for federal funds

· Experience in carrying out a federally compliant procurements, and the proposed procurement approach for this project

· Results of previous audits

· Past performance on NCTCOG-related grants

NCTCOG is not obligated to fund a proposal from an applicant that has demonstrated marginal or unsatisfactory performance on previous grants or contracts with NCTCOG and/or other state or federal agencies. NCTCOG is not obligated to fund a proposal from an applicant based on a determination of the risks, including the financial condition of the applicant and other risk factors as may be determined by NCTCOG.

Applicants will be required to provide a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), and proof of a current registration with the System for Award Management (SAM). Applicants can receive a UEI and start the registration process in SAM at no cost at www.SAM.gov. If a UEI has not yet been assigned or the SAM registration has not been approved by the time the application is submitted, please include the date the applicant requested the UEI and/or the date the SAM registration was submitted.

ELIGIBLE LOCATIONS

Locations must be on public sector property owned by the applicant within the NCTCOG 16-county area. Preferred locations are those that provide functions or destinations that attract drivers frequently, such as sports complexes, parks, city halls, community centers, libraries, multi-use service centers, transit stations, public schools, etc. Locations in public roadway rights-of-way are not allowed.

ELIGIBLE PROJECTS

Both Level 2 and Direct Current Fast Charge (DCFC) Charging Stations are eligible for funding. Applicants must own the facilities where the charging station(s) will be installed. The Activity Life of the grant-funded equipment is five years, meaning that all funded projects must remain operational and open to the public for at least five years. All charging station installations must meet the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Standards and Requirements outlined in 23 CFR 680. NCTCOG will conduct the procurement of charging station vendor(s) to ensure compliance with the technical requirements of the NEVI Standards and Requirements. Key station requirements site hosts should be aware of are listed below. A detailed list of the station requirements is available in Appendix A.

All charging stations must:

· Be accessible and available to the public

· Be located in the 16-County NCTCOG Area

· Be located on Applicant-owned property and owned by the Applicant entity

· Be co-located with existing parking/development and comply with all National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Categorical Exclusion requirements on page 12 and in Appendix B

· Have dusk to dawn lighting

· Comply with the U.S. Access Board Design Recommendations for Accessible Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

· Have signage for each EV charging parking space

· Be maintained and operational for the five-year Activity Life beginning at the opening of the station

· Be properly insured against loss or damage throughout the term of the contract and the five-year Activity Life

· Offer at least four network-connected charging ports simultaneously capable of charging at least four EVs

· For locations within a mile of an Alternative Fuel Corridor and intended to serve drivers travelling through the community:

· At least four DCFC ports must be available

· Available for use to the public 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, year-round.

· For locations greater than a mile from an Alternative Fuel Corridor or intended to serve visitors to nearby facilities rather than corridor travelers:

· Charging stations can be a combination of DCFC or Level 2, as long as four ports are available

· Available for use to the public at least as frequently as the operating hours of the site host facility.

· Meet all federal requirements outlined in 23 CFR Part 680 detailed in Appendix A

Additional Level 2 Station Requirements:

· Offer at least four Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) J1772 connectors on all ports

· Expected to offer at least one SAE J3400/North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector

· Be rated at a minimum of 6 kW per port Additional Direct Current Fast Charge Station Requirements:

· Offer at least four SAE Combined Charging System (SAE CCS1) charging protocol connectors

· Expected to offer at least four SAE J3400/North American Charging Standard (NACS) connectors

· Be rated at a minimum of 150 kW per port Charging Stations are Strongly Encouraged, but Not Required, to also:

· Meet or exceed Energy Star standards for EV Charging stations

· Install motion activated lighting

· Incorporate features that help minimize grid impacts (charge management, battery storage, etc.)

FUNDING LEVELS & ELIGIBLE COSTS

Grant funding will cover up to 80 percent of the initial deployment capital cost and up to 20 percent of the operations and maintenance costs for Level 2 and Direct Current Fast Charge (DCFC). The remaining 20 percent non-federal share for initial deployment capital costs and 80 percent for operations and maintenance costs are expected to be covered by private sector charging station vendor(s). The awarded public sector agency is expected to cash-flow the federal share while awaiting reimbursement by NCTCOG, but is not expected to incur any out-of-pocket costs associated with initial charging station deployment. Eligible costs must be directly related to purchase and installation of EV charging stations and their operations and maintenance. Funding details are outlined in the table below.

Exhibit 4. Project Costs Breakdown

Eligible Costs:

· Development phase activities, including planning, feasibility analysis, revenue forecasting, preliminary engineering and design work, and other preconstruction activities

· Note: while technically eligible, these should be minimal. The Deployment Dream Team is available to assist with development phase activities under its contract with NCTCOG. NCTCOG has already secured NEPA clearance for any site that is consistent with the details in Appendix B. Applicants requesting any funds for these activities must justify why these expenses are reasonable and necessary given the Deployment Dream Team resources available through NCTCOG

· Any necessary permits

· Acquisition of charging station infrastructure and equipment directly related to the charging of a vehicle, including shipping costs

· Acquisition and installation of necessary on-site electrical service equipment, including power meters, transformers, and switch gears, if not provided by the utility through "make-ready" services

· Construction associated directly with the equipment purchase and installation of charging stations, including materials, labor and subcontracts for services for the enhancement or building of permanent facilities, electrical capacity, and necessary facility improvements such as paving, foundation and covers

· Site improvements related to the EV charging infrastructure such as lighting, security cameras, signage, wheel stops, striping, etc.

· Operations and maintenance costs such as preventative maintenance or networking fees

Ineligible Costs:

· Any expenses incurred through a process that does not comply with federal procurement requirements

· Any expenses incurred prior to execution of a grant agreement by NCTCOG

· Purchase of EVs

· Level 1 charging stations

· Electricity costs

· Replacement or upgrading of existing charging stations

· Leased or lease-to-own charging stations

· Costs of used electric vehicle charging equipment

· Testing equipment

· Sales taxes

· Charging station or equipment warranties

· Transformers or other electrical equipment which is not directly related to the electric vehicle charging equipment

· Purchasing or leasing of facility, land, interest in land, real estate, capital costs, such as facility improvements and equipment, that are not directly associated with the charging unit (construction of buildings, parking facilities, etc.)

· Administrative costs and other internal costs of the grant recipient including, but not limited to, personnel expenses, internal salaries, indirect costs (e.g. office supplies), travel, food, drink, or financing

· Fees for a third-party consultant or dealer hired to coordinate the application or manage and administer grant-funded activities, including coordination of the work and submission of reports and paperwork

· Major grid upgrades, such as longer line extensions or upgrades, improvements to offsite power generation, bulk power transmission, or substations

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Clearance:

NEPA approval for implementation of chargers across the NCTCOG service-area has been obtained by NCTCOG in consultation with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). TxDOT assigned the following NEPA tracking number to this project: 4444-24-019.

TxDOT provided a (c)(12) Categorical Exclusion determination for the project on December 4, 2024, subject to the following conditions. Any changes to these conditions must be resubmitted to TxDOT for further environmental review. Should unexpected changes arise during construction activities, Grant recipients must notify NCTCOG within three (3) business days to ensure additional approvals are not required.

· Construction and installation must be contained within the footprint of the existing paved surfaces or on regularly mowed grass;

· Excavation depth must be less than 5 feet;

· No non-landscape vegetation may be removed or disturbed; and

· Site conditions must be consistent with the details provided in the Work Plan Development Table in Appendix B

Texas Historical Commission Requirements:

Texas Historical Commission (THC) requirements must be followed. For each proposed charger site, indicate in the site description in Part 3 of the application whether or not the charger site is located on a property with a structure of historic age (45 years old or older). Project sites on properties with a structure of historic age may need to be surveyed for eligibility. If no such structures are present, provide a statement affirming no structures of historic age are impacted.

Solid Waste Disposal Requirements:

The Solid Waste Disposal Act, 42 U.S. Code, Chapter 82, must be followed. Grant recipients will require and ensure the handling, disposal, transportation, record keeping, and final disposition of any substance or construction waste considered harmful, hazardous, or toxic to be in accordance with the applicable Federal, State, or Local laws and regulations. A copy of the disposition letter shall be provided to NCTCOG. The reuse or resale of removed equipment is not allowed.

Permitting, Zoning, and Code Requirements:

Grant recipients must obtain any required federal, state, and local government, utility and/or electrical permits and approvals. Grant recipients must comply with any local permitting, zoning, code, and approval requirements. Additionally, all charging stations installed through this project are expected to be installed in a manner consistent with the latest building codes recommended by the NCTCOG Regional Codes Coordinating Committee (RCCC) 2024 Final Regional Amendments, available at www.nctcog.org/envir/regional-building-codes/amendments. Certification that all requirements have been met is required to be submitted to NCTCOG prior to reimbursement.

Property Management Requirements:

Grant recipients must utilize and maintain grant-funded equipment in a manner consistent with the goals and objectives of these Guidelines and federal property management requirements in 2 CFR 200.313. This means that grant recipients must maintain grant- funded equipment in good working order and operate it in a manner consistent with the grant until five years from the initial date of operation, or as long as needed, whether or not the project continues to be supported by the Federal award.

The grant recipient must receive written authorization from NCTCOG for use, non-use, sale, or other disposition of any equipment purchased through this grant. If, at the end of the site operations period, the grant-funded equipment retains value to NCTCOG or FHWA, and the equipment is no longer used for the purposes outlined in the grant, the grant recipient may sell and use the proceeds to replace like for like. Equipment may not be sold, scrapped or otherwise disposed of until written approval is received from NCTCOG. The use, non-use, sale, or other disposition of any equipment when fair-market value exceeds ten thousand dollars ($10,000) may require the grant recipient to return all or a portion of grant funding received under this Agreement to the NCTCOG.

Additionally, NCTCOG will conduct a site visit each year until property management requirements are fulfilled to confirm equipment remains installed and operational.

Emissions Credit:

Applicant must surrender all emissions reductions to NCTCOG to meet air quality requirements and goals. The recipient may not utilize emissions reductions to satisfy other air quality commitments unless otherwise agreed to by NCTCOG.

Voluntary Reductions:

Projects must be voluntary in nature and not required by any local, state, or federal law, rule, regulation, memorandum of agreement, or other legally binding document.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Applications will be evaluated on a competitive basis with other applications received upon the appropriate deadline. Sites will be selected based on their ability to incorporate FHWA focus areas such as locations able to serve multifamily housing, multimodal hubs and shared-use fleets/services, fleets operating in communities, and rural areas, as well as public demand for the project and the feasibility of the project. Each site may receive up to 100 points in project scoring. More details on the criteria are outlined below.

Applicants may include multiple project sites in their application. NCTCOG will evaluate and score each location individually again these criteria. NCTCOG may fund some, all, or none of the sites included in a given application. Each funded site will meet the requirements outlined in 23 CFR 680.

As part of the initial screening process, the Deployment Dream Team will be conducting a “Fatal Flaw Analysis” of each site to identify particularly challenging feasibility concerns. These issues could include, but are not limited to, utility capacity, flood risk or other hazards to the chargers, or excavation concerns.

· Areas with Insufficient Charging – Up to 60 Points

· Locations that fill gaps in the existing charging station network and are further away from other existing or planned chargers

· Locations that do not have enough chargers adequately support the charging needs of drivers in the area or passing through

· High ratio of vehicles to chargers, where the number of existing chargers is not adequate for the number of drivers

· Community and economic development requires additional chargers to support current or future growth

· Areas with Potential Demand – Up to 20 Points

· The location could serve as a multi-modal hub or a shared-use station for fleets and other drivers

· For example, the station could provide first- or last-mile driver connections transferring to other modes (e.g. buses, trains, or planes, active transportation); might serve areas with high rideshare activity

· Could serve drivers near university, college, school, or hospital campuses

· The location could serve fleets that operate in the community

· This could include the fleet of the applying public agency, local delivery fleets, transit fleets, or others that the applicant has coordinated with (service providers or contractors)

· Fleets intending to use grant funded chargers for their own fleet vehicles, including public agencies who submits sites that are intended to serve the applicant agency’s fleet, are encouraged to adopt the NCTCOG Clean Fleet Policy and provide a copy of the policy and documentation of its adoption.

· Public Engagement – Up to 10 Points

· The site is near locations recommended by the general public

· Recommended location data will be gathered from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) EV Charging Plan Interactive Map, available on the NCTCOG Regional EV Charging page.

· The location is the type of site that reflects preferences of the general public related to charging stations

· Sites that the general public visits frequently as a destination

· Sites that are adjacent or near community destinations

· Sites that offer amenities highly desired by EV drivers such as lighting, restrooms, food and drink offerings, shopping, etc.

· Recommended facility types will be evaluated in part based on feedback from the NCTCOG Regional EV Charging page and ongoing studies and research on consumer preferences, such as those conducted by the Transportation Energy Institute (https://www.transportationenergy.org/), national laboratories, and others. See Exhibit 5 below for location preference data collected by NCTCOG as of April 2025. Note that these examples are meant to be illustrative; they are not comprehensive of all possible site types and NCTCOG will not “rank” sites according to these responses.

· Applicants are encouraged to conduct their own public engagement; resources are available on the NCTCOG public engagement webpage (www.publicinput.com/nctcogEVcharging). Applicants may provide any other information highlighting community need for the proposed charging site(s).

Exhibit 5. Public Response to the Question “Where do YOU want to charge?” Data collected in the NCTCOG region at public outreach events between October 2024 – April 2025. Total feedback will be reassessed upon the close of the CFP.

· Feasibility and Risk – Up to 10 Points

· The applicant demonstrates some level of readiness for the project, such as:

· Charging infrastructure at the project location is consistent with site or agency development plans such as a facility renovation plan or citywide EV charging plan

· Documentation of strategies to drive utilization once the site is complete (public outreach plans, applicant fleet usage, etc.)

· Confirmation from any fleets anticipated to use the charging infrastructure

· Estimated schedule to go to construction

· The project includes measures to mitigate station damage or inoperability

· Site security measures (bollards, motion activated lights, cameras, etc.)

· Protection from natural hazards (flooding, hail, etc.)

· Plans to increase site resilience against grid outages (e.g. providing on-site power generation, battery storage, generator backup, etc.)

· Inclusion of some resilience and energy management features may be evaluated as part of the procurement for EV Charging vendor(s) that NCTCOG will conduct, but applicants may have other projects planned with other funding that could support site resilience.

· Note that since this project is intended to support emissions reductions to attain ozone standards. Thus, plans to use diesel generators or other fuel types that generate NOX emissions are discouraged and would not receive points in this scoring criteria.

· The applicant has coordinated with the applicable utility As part of the application, Applicants are highly encouraged to attach a letter, such as a “Will-Serve” letter, from the project’s applicable interconnection provider (Oncor, Texas-New Mexico Power, CoServ, etc.) indicating initial review of the project and feasibility of project completion. NCTCOG’s procured Deployment Dream Team consultant for this project, Kimley Horn and Associates, Inc., will be available to assist applicants with this coordination and ensuring there is sufficient power available at each site. See the “Use of Consultants” section for more information on NCTCOG’s consultant and how they will be helping with this project.

Public agencies who submit sites that are intended to serve the applicant agency’s fleet are encouraged to adopt the Clean Fleet Policy and provide a copy of the policy and documentation of its adoption. For agencies who plan for fleet use, adoption of the Clean Fleet Policy will be factored into the scoring of the “Areas with Potential Demand” section above. NCTCOG may base funding decisions on factors associated with best achieving the purpose of the CFP and is not obligated to select a project for funding. Additionally, NCTCOG may select parts of an application for funding or offer to fund less than the amount requested in an application.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Application forms and supporting resources are available through www.nctcog.org/evcharginggrant.

Application packets including the application form and required attachments must be received, “in-hand”, by 5:00 pm, Friday, October 31, 2025.

Applicants may submit one in-hand hard copy or one in-hand flash drive of the proposal to Jared Wright, Senior Air Quality Planner, North Central Texas Council of Governments, 616 Six Flags Drive, Arlington, Texas 76011. Flash drives should contain one file preferably with indexed sections. Flash drives that are unreadable or contain corrupt files will be considered non-responsive. Applications must be received no later than 5:00 p.m., Central Time, on Friday, October 31, 2025. Applications received after that time will not be considered and will be returned to the Applicant unopened. The in-hand submittal will count as the official submittal. In addition to the in-hand submittal, as NCTCOG is testing a new e-procurement system, NCTCOG will be releasing this RFP through the Bidnet Direct system and will accept electronic submissions through the system. A Bidnet Direct link will be included when the CFP is published. Proposers are encouraged to submit a courtesy response in Bidnet Direct to help familiarize themselves and NCTCOG staff with the system. If only a Bidnet Direct submittal is received, it will not be evaluated.

Applications should be addressed to:

North Central Texas Council of Governments Transportation Department North Texas Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Call for Projects Attention: Jared Wright 616 Six Flags Drive Arlington, TX 76011 Applicants are encouraged to submit in advance of the submission deadline to allow staff time to review the application for completeness.

NCTCOG reserves the right to make changes to the CFP. All such changes shall be made by an amendment to the CFP and shall be posted on NCTCOG’s website at nctcog.org/evcharginggrant. It is the responsibility of the applicant to frequently check this website for information concerning amendments to the CFP.

Steps to Apply: All the items listed below must be “in hand” by the application deadline for a project to be deemed complete.

Use of Consultants:

NCTCOG has procured Kimley Horn and Associates, Inc. to serve as the “Deployment Dream Team” consultant for this project. Kimley Horn’s services are available to all public agency applicants to assist with application development. Kimley Horn will also be available to assist awarded applicants throughout the implementation process. NCTCOG encourages applicants to utilize Kimley Horn if needed as these services have been paid for and vetted by NCTCOG. Specific application assistance services offered by Kimley- Horn and Associates, Inc. include:

· Desktop review and fatal flaw analysis of potential sites and assistance with developing a shortlist of ideal sites

· Desktop review includes a report on general site layout, pending permits and developer announcements, inventory of Authorities Having Jurisdiction, utility provider regulations, floodplains, nearby power infrastructure, and proximity of existing EV charging infrastructure

· Test fits of shortlisted sites

· Includes a high-level sketch locating the proposed charging equipment, utility connections, striping, accessible routes, and other applicable improvements over a high-resolution aerial image

· Site visits with applicants to shortlisted sites

· Visits will be used to gather information on existing electrical equipment health, electrical capacity, pavement quality, walkability to amenities, traffic conditions, cell service, accessibility compliance, and other components of the site

· Conceptual site plans of sites being seriously considered for submission

· Plan will expand on the test fit to include existing infrastructure to remain, remove, or be replaced, as well as proposed conduit routes and warnings for potential conflicts with above and underground structures

· Can include any resilience strategies relating to existing flood hazards

· Can be developed for multiple scenarios per site for the charger mix, varying degrees of U.S. Access Board recommendations for accessibility, and resilience strategies

· Conceptual single-line diagrams for sites being seriously considered for submission

· Diagram will illustrate potential grid resilience strategies

· Diagram will be used to coordinate with electric utility providers and kick start utility designs if necessary

· Scoring criteria analysis of final sites for submission

· Analysis of options to strengthen application

· Can develop up to four scenarios that will include detailed estimates of soft and construction costs, maps and lists of recommended sites, key rationales, and pros/cons matrices

· Preparation of the final application for submission for each site

Contact the Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. Deployment Dream Team at the following email: EVDreamTeam@Kimley-Horn.com Other private consultants may be available to assist in completing and submitting an application. These consultants do not represent NCTCOG. Applications submitted by a particular consultant will not receive any more favorable treatment than other applications. Fees charged by a consultant are the responsibility of the applicant and may not be charged to the grant, either directly or as an addition to the cost basis of the grant- funded equipment. Moreover, NCTCOG staff are available to field application questions as needed.

GRANT ADMINISTRATION

NCTCOG will notify all applicants whether the project has been awarded and, if so, grant amounts awarded. The notification will be sent to all points of contact identified on the grant application. This notification is not authorization to begin work. Entities selected to receive grant funding will be required to execute an agreement with NCTCOG to formally accept grant funding.

Applicants who receive a grant award will be required to meet with NCTCOG staff prior to implementing their project to explain all grant expectations. If awarded, the steps to implement generally are as follows.

Step 1: Sign Agreement with NCTCOG No grant activities may begin until after the agreement between NCTCOG and the grant recipient is fully executed. “Grant activities” in this case includes vendor selection or placement of equipment purchase orders. No activities may proceed until after execution of a grant agreement and procurement review and approval by NCTCOG.

Step 2: Optional – Assist NCTCOG with Federally Compliant EV Charging Station Vendor Procurement NCTCOG will conduct a federally compliant Request for Proposals to procure one or more EV charging station vendors to complete station implementation. Public agency awardees will be welcome and encouraged to provide feedback on requirements and scoring criteria used to select these vendors.

Step 3: Select/Contract with an NCTCOG Procured Vendor Public agency subrecipients will be required to contract with an NCTCOG procured EV charging station vendor to construct stations. In the event that NCTCOG selects multiple vendors, public agency awardees will be able to choose their preferred vendor. NCTCOG will ensure that vendors meet all federal, state, and program requirements as well as those requirements requested and agreed upon by agencies and NCTCOG in the previous step.

Step 4: Implement the Project Selected EV charging station vendors will construct and install the sites. Once complete, the public agency subrecipients will assume ownership of the station and the station will open to the public. The EV charging station vendor will be answerable to the public agency subrecipient for performance, repairs, operation, and maintenance.

Step 5: Submit for Reimbursement Grants will be made on a reimbursement basis for eligible expenses incurred and paid by the grant recipient. A cost may not be considered incurred until the cost grant-funded equipment has been paid for by the grant recipient. Requests for reimbursement shall include documentation to show that 80% of eligible costs from the contracted charging station vendor(s) for the equipment and services have been received and expenses paid by the grant recipient. All eligible expenses must be paid in full (not financed, etc.) in order to be reimbursed. Reimbursement request forms are available at www.nctcog.org/aqfunding/forms.asp.

This funding cannot be combined with other federal funding, Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) funds, Texas Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Program funds. Applicants must reduce the amount requested to be reimbursed by the value of any existing financial incentives that directly reduce the cost of the activity, including tax credits or deductions.

Applicants must submit required supporting documentation with each reimbursement request. Supporting documentation will include but is not limited to:

· Proof that work was completed by Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program (EVITP) Certified Electrician or graduation or a continuing education certificate from a registered apprenticeship program;

· Texas Master/ Journeyman Electrician certification that the charging station equipment was installed in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendations, and meets applicable codes for the application; and

· Spec/cut sheets for each charging station and any grid integration/resiliency equipment installed.

Step 6: Reporting and Equipment Use

· Project Status Report: Grant recipients must submit reports regarding project status on a monthly basis until final reimbursement is issued.

· Annual Asset Management Reporting: Grant recipients will be required to submit annual reports until property management requirements are fulfilled. This report will also ensure compliance with 2 CFR 200.313. Required reporting will include, but is not limited to, the following information for each activity:

· Usage

· Asset Condition

· Location

· Electric Vehicle Charger Data Submittal: As Under 23 CFR 680, data submissions are required for all projects funded through NTx-REVI through the Electric Vehicle Charging Analytics and Reporting Tool (EV-ChART). As part of the vendor procurement, NCTCOG expects any procured vendor(s) to complete EV-ChART reporting for grant recipients. The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation created EV-ChART to standardize data submission. Once the station is operational, grant recipients will submit a draft data submittal to NCTCOG using the template provided by NCTCOG. The template will be posted online at https://www.nctcog.org/trans/quality/air/funding-and-resources under “Agreements & Forms”. After review and approval, NCTCOG will submit the data into EV-ChART on behalf of grant recipients. The data required for submittal is broken into nine modules with annual, quarterly, or one-time reporting frequencies:

· Quarterly Reports

· Module 2: Charging Sessions

· Module 3: Uptime

· Module 4: Outages

· Annual Reports

· Module 5: Maintenance Costs

· Module 7: Station Operator Program

· One-Time Reports

· Module 1: Station Location (Station Registration form on EV-ChART)

· Module 6: Station Operator Identity

· Module 8: Distributed Energy Resource Information

· Module 9: Capital and Installation Costs Quarterly data must be submitted to NCTCOG by the eighteenth (18th) of January, April, July, and October. Annual and One-time data needs must be submitted by February 18 of the year after station is operational More information describing EV-ChART and data required for each module is available at driveelectric.gov/evchart.

· Notification of Changes: Recipients must agree to notify NCTCOG of changes in the following until all federal interest is fulfilled: termination of use, change in use or location, sale, transfer, or accidental or intentional destruction of grant-funded equipment. Any sale, transfer, or decision to terminate use must be pre-approved by NCTCOG and may trigger repayment associated with property management requirements.

Awarded applicants are obligated to fulfill agreement requirements including, but not limited to, surrender of eligible emissions credits, and completion of reporting requirements to NCTCOG until all federal interest in the grant-funded vehicles/equipment is fulfilled. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in return of all or a pro- rata share of the grant funds to NCTCOG.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Please submit any questions or comments about this funding initiative to: Website: www.nctcog.org/evcharginggrant Email: AQgrants@nctcog.org NCTCOG Project Staff:

Joslyn Billings Air Quality Planner III 817-695-9294 jbillings@nctcog.org Jared Wright Senior Air Quality Planner 817-608-2374 jwright@nctcog.org

Appendix A Operations and Maintenance

Grant recipients must meet the following operations and maintenance requirements.

i. The installation vendor will provide a comprehensive installation report, on-site commissioning, and test reports following the installation to ensure operational functionality.

ii. The installation vendor will describe in detail how potential issues will be resolved and provide a description of any potential subcontractors.

iii. The installation vendor will describe the response time in the event that on-site troubleshooting or repairs are needed, how the chargers will be repaired in a timely manner if replacement components are needed and how availability of parts will be ensured.

iv. Grant recipients will ensure the installation vendor provides a preventative maintenance schedule. Preventative maintenance is defined as repairs, parts, supplies, and labor required to bring charging stations to operational specifications and includes the following but is not limited to:

· Conduct quarterly site visits and/or as needed. Preventative maintenance shall include inspection testing using an emulator device, cleaning, checking connector's wires and holster, and overall functionality of the stations.

· Record and document damaged charging using digital photography.

· All non-working charging stations shall have visible signage identifying the station(s) as being "temporarily out of service."

· Decommission non-working charging stations until they are repaired. If charging stations are removed from the site, a junction box shall cover all exposed wires.

Hardware

Grant recipients must ensure that all chargers meet the following hardware requirements for installation:

i. Charging equipment must comply with all applicable federal, state and local legislation, regulations, codes, standards, permits, approvals, authorizations and other requirements (collectively, “regulations”) in effect at the date of acceptance.

ii. Charging equipment and construction material must be Build America Buy America (BABA) compliant. Please review the Buy America Requirements for more guidance on implementation and compliance.

iii. Charging equipment accessible to the public must meet the requirements detailed in Code of Federal Regulations Title 23, Chapter I, Subchapter G, Part 680 – National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Standards and Procedures (23 CFR Part 680)

iv. Any DC fast charge ports must include a Combined Charging System (CCS) connector.

v. Adequate power capacity must be provided to enable each DC fast charge port to charge at a minimum rate of 150kW simultaneously.

vi. Any level 2 chargers must include a SAE J1772 connector able to charge at a minimum rate of at least 6 kW per port simultaneously.

vii. Any level 2 chargers must be ENERGY STAR certified.

viii. In accordance with 23 CFR 680.106(g) charging stations must be certified by the appropriate Underwriters Laboratories (UL) standards for EV charging stations.

ix. In accordance with 23 CFR 680.106(j), the workforce installing, maintaining, or operating chargers must have the appropriate licenses, certifications, and training, such as a certification from the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program (EVITP) or graduation or a continuing education certificate from a registered apprenticeship

x. Charging equipment must maintain 97% minimum uptime.

xi. Standby power consumption while a vehicle is not connected to the charger must be minimized.

xii. The charging system shall be capable of operating continuously without performance or safety degradations.

xiii. The connectors shall not be energized except when mated with the car-mounted receptacle.

xiv. Connectors must have a locking mechanism, ensuring the connector will not come loose or fall by incidental contact.

xv. Access doors to the chargers and associated equipment shall be lockable (cabinets keyed the same) and use secure latching.

xvi. Chargers shall be equipped with local operator panels for retrieving diagnostic codes, and for resetting charge session.

xvii. The charging system shall be equipped with local operator panel for automatic or manual operation.

xviii. The charging system shall be self-restarting after loss of power.

xix. New charging sessions shall be automatically restarted after power outage and restoration, to the extent safe and in accordance with applicable standards.

xx. Be certified to operate outdoors in temperatures between 0 °F and 120°F and in extreme weather conditions. Equipment must be resistant to water, oil, diesel fuel, and other corrosives that may typically be found in parking lots.

xxi. Each charger will include an electrical disconnect switch/emergency shut-off switch that is clearly marked, easily accessible, and easily operable, to facilitate isolation from other chargers in the same bank of chargers as required, in accordance with all applicable electrical codes, standards and requirements.

xxii. The charging equipment must remain functional during an internet or network outage (e.g., redundancy plan, failure modes).

Grant recipients should strive, to the greatest degree possible, to ensure the project:

i. Meets the U.S. Access Board Design Recommendations for Accessible Electric Vehicle Charging Stations.

ii. Includes one or more SAE J3400 connectors.

iii. Uses ENERGY STAR certified DC Fast Chargers.

Software Grant recipients must ensure that all chargers meet the following software requirements for installation:

i. The charging station shall comply with all interoperability requirements outlined in 23 CFR 680.108, including Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) 2.0.1 and Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI) 2.2.1.

ii. Each charger shall be capable of communication to an external network for purposes of…