On Oct. 19, the City of Oak Harbor replaced two electric vehicle charging stations on Dock Street that were outdated and repainted the parking spaces.

According to information provided by Communications Manager Sabrina Combs, the original charging stations were installed in 2014. The project consisted of fully replacing a station and replacing the other’s modem with a modem with faster charging capabilities.

Funding came from the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee, which approved the city’s $30,000 grant application for the project, but the city is still accumulating costs. Power and support are paid for by the general fund at no cost to the public, while Public Works is in charge of maintenance.

Demand for EV charging stations has been increasing, and the city is currently pursuing more grants to add more on the city’s public spaces, such as Windjammer Park and Fort Nugent, according to the information sent by Combs.

In September, the Washington State Department of Commerce announced its new grant program that would distribute $64 million in incentives to different applicants —- such as cities, tribal governments and nonprofits —- that seek to install Level 2 and DC Fast Charging infrastructure.