EV charging ports for federal buildings and GSA leased facilities
EV charging port at the Department of Energy Research Park Facility in Morgantown, West Virginia.
GSA plans to invest $25 million to build an electric charging network for the federal government’s electrical vehicle fleet through 32 projects across 21 states and 33 federal buildings. These plans include a $1.4 million investment to install EV charging ports at five federal buildings in the Mid-Atlantic Region. This effort is key to supporting GSA’s goal of transitioning the federal fleet to electric vehicles. The five federal buildings and the total number of EV charging ports planned for each location are:
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Headquarters, Woodlawn, Maryland; 16 ports.
- George H. Fallon Federal Building, Baltimore, Maryland; 8 ports.
- Veterans Administration Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 12 ports.
- Sylvia H. Rambo U.S. Courthouse, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; 8 ports.
- Federal Building at Needy Road, Martinsburg, West Virginia; 16 ports.
These projects require an extensive amount of planning between GSA and tenant agencies. Considerations include: Who’s using electric vehicles? What type of charging station is best? Can we verify the site’s electrical capacity to support charging ports? Is there space available for hosting charging ports without sacrificing other parking needs? What’s the proposed charging station’s proximity to the power source and service panel? Will the proposed location meet fire safety, historic and accessibility standards? What are the trenching and construction costs and impacts?
The scope of work at each project location is understandably site specific, with the goal to increase charging capacity quickly and in a cost effective way through GSA contracting tools such as blanket purchase agreements, Multiple Award Schedule, and IDIQ design-build methods. The scope of work generally includes dual port Level 2 charging stations, electrical infrastructure including a new transformer and electrical panel as needed, conduit and wiring, protective barriers such as curbs, bollards and/or wheel stops, and networked Fedramp-compliant charging hardware. These scopes will also incorporate any site modifications or hardware necessary to meet fire safety, historic and accessibility requirements. Four of these regional projects are expected to be completed in the first half of 2025 and the fifth project is estimated to be completed in 2026.
EV charging port at the Department of Transportation in Dover, Delaware.
GSA also worked with lessors and tenants to complete EV charging port installations at two regional GSA-leased facilities. GSA partnered with a building lessor and the U.S. Department of Energy to install charging ports at the Research Park Building Morgantown, West Virginia. This project, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, consisted of two dual port charging stations, bollards, parking and curb alterations, and other related infrastructure and site upgrades. This project, the first completed EV project in a GSA Mid-Atlantic Region leased facility, was completed in April 2024. “Many thanks to GSA for keeping this project on track and everyone focused,” said Elizabeth Holland, Facilities Manager for the U.S. Department of Energy.
GSA also partnered with the U.S. Department of Transportation and a building lessor to install four EV charging ports at College Park Drive in Dover, Delaware. The project, funded by DOT and completed in May 2024, included networking capability and necessary infrastructure upgrades.
These investments are creating more jobs in the green economy, saving taxpayer dollars through increased efficiency in federal operations, and creating healthier communities across the country. Visit GSA electric vehicle supply equipment purchasing resources and GSA charging ports for more information.
This article is part of the Summer issue of the FOCUS newsletter. Please visit the Focus Newsletter page .