Dubuque Adds Fees For Using Public Charging Stations For EVs

According to a press release, the city of Dubuque is set to introduce a fee for its public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in response to changes in Iowa state law.

Starting October 9th, users of the three charging stations located within the Intermodal Parking Ramp will be charged at a rate of $0.17 per kilowatt-hour for their EV charging sessions. This fee is designed to recoup state tax payments and cover administrative costs, like the app and electricity usage, and will be in addition to any parking fees incurred by the user.

The decision to impose this fee stems from the implementation of House File 767, a law passed by the Iowa Legislature in 2019, which introduced an excise tax on non-residential EV charging. The State initiated the collection of this tax on July 1st, 2023. Before this change, the City of Dubuque required users to download an app and register a credit or debit card for access to the charging stations, but charging your vehicle was free.

The Intermodal Parking Ramp currently houses charging stations capable of accommodating up to six EVs that can charge simultaneously. These stations were installed in 2015. Over the past 7 years, the usage of these charging stations has increased exponentially. An increase 150 % from the start of 2022 to the present, highlights the increasing popularity and use of electric vehicles in the local area.

While the introduction of fees represents a shift in the accessibility of EV charging in Dubuque, it is aimed at ensuring the sustainability of the charging infrastructure and compliance with new state tax regulations and laws. The average user can expect to pay around $2.63 per charging session. EV owners should be aware of this change in policy when utilizing public charging facilities in the city.