WEST BEND, Wis. — West Bend must repay nearly $30,000 to We Energies after two city-owned electric vehicle charging stations on Main Street and Vine Street failed to meet the usage requirements tied to a 2023 incentive program.
We Energies awarded the city $55,000 in 2023 to build the two charging stations, with the condition that the chargers reach 60% kilowatt usage or the city would be required to repay a portion of the funds. The chargers reached only 32%.
City Administrator Jesse Thyes said the repayment obligation caught city staff off guard.
"This nuance of the grant program was simply lost in translation between the transition of staff," Thyes said. "The silver lining to this is, it's showing that these amenities are being used, they just did not meet the usage threshold set forth in that grant program."
Thyes said the city will cover the nearly $30,000 repayment through its "unforeseen expenses" budget and will not raise taxes to do so.
We Energies spokesperson Brendan Conway said the city was made aware of the repayment terms and that the utility extended the deadline before requiring payment.
"So, really it's designed on the front end to help people put in EVs if they want to," Conway said. "But in the back-end if they don't meet their demand, that is money that then won't be repaid. We can't shift that to other customers so then they are responsible for it."
Washington County resident Samantha Michols Schopp, who used one of the Main Street chargers on Thursday, said she was not shocked by the low usage numbers.
"I'm not really surprised that they're not getting more use," she said. "Because I just don't think that they're really known about."
She shared that EV drivers find it more expensive to charge at a public station than at home, but she still sees value in the downtown locations.
"I think that they're a great addition to downtown West Bend," she said. "I think it will bring in more EV users."
The $30,000 repayment is a one-time payment. Thyes said the city has already updated how it tracks long-term payment obligations as a result of the situation.
City Administrator Jesse Thyes intends to bring this request before Common Council in the near future. If approved by Council, the expense would be paid using budgeted contingency funds set aside for unforeseen expenses. Using contingency funds will not require the City to raise taxes or seek additional revenue from taxpayers.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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