Grant jumpstarts transfer of EV charging stations on Maui

Jun 24, 2021

A recent $90,000 grant to the Maui Economic Development Board aims to support the transfer of JUMPSmart EV charging stations to Hawaiian Electric, allowing the utility to continue charging services for Maui electric-vehicle owners and communities, and accelerating EV adoption in the Islands overall. Funding for the transfer was provided through the Ulupono Fund at the Hawaii Community Foundation.

The Maui charging stations were installed in the early 2010s as a component of a pilot project funded by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization — Japan’s largest public research and development management organization — through a U.S.-Japan government agreement. The renewable-energy demonstration project helped set up EV charging-station infrastructure and smart-grid EV technology in communities across Maui. Its goal? Showing how smart-grid technologies could enable efficient use of renewable energy in an island setting, and responding to evolving demands on the island’s energy grid resulting from as-available renewable energy.

Utilizing 13 fast-charging stations at its inception, the project provided information on Maui EV-driver charging behaviors beneficial toward commercializing EV charging-station operations and sustaining their service on the island.

For more information, visit www.JUMPSmartMaui.com.