Marblehead Sustainability Coordinator Logan Casey presented a comprehensive plan Feb. 13 to accelerate the town’s transition to electric vehicles, outlining strategies to meet the community’s 2040 net-zero emissions goal through both public adoption and municipal fleet conversion.
Transportation accounts for 36% of Marblehead’s greenhouse gas emissions, making it the second-largest source of carbon pollution in the community. The town currently has 463 registered electric vehicles but needs to reach approximately 6,000 by 2030 to align with state climate targets.
“As a town, we have to plan together so we can support people in the transition,” said Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer. “Our capital planning needs to address both immediate infrastructure needs and long-term conversion goals.”
Central to the plan is expanding public charging infrastructure. The town will conduct a utilization study of its eight existing Level 2 public chargers to guide future installations. Existing public chargers include the following:
— Marblehead Municipal Light Department, 80 Commercial St.
— Mary A. Alley Municipal Building, 7 Widger Road
— Roundhouse Road Parking Lot
Marblehead Municipal Light Department is investing $8 million in a new substation to boost grid capacity for increased EV charging demand.
The plan addresses charging equity, particularly for residents without access to home charging. Lisa Wolf, a committee member, emphasized the importance of strategic charger placement.
“Commercial locations may not be as practical because people aren’t stopping and shopping for a long time,” she said. “We should focus on locations like schools where teachers and staff are parked for the whole day.”
Casey proposed a “zero-emission vehicle first” policy that would require town departments to prioritize electric options when replacing vehicles under 8,500 pounds. “We might not be in the situation where every single medium or heavy-duty vehicle can be replaced with an electric right away,” he said, “but we should still be trying to incentivize getting more of these types of vehicles out into the different departments.”
At sea
The plan also explores innovative solutions for Marblehead’s maritime community. “Part of that will be looking at the charging opportunities and fuel types,” Casey explained. “The state is looking at renewable fuels like biodiesel for marine transportation which we should also consider given the energy demands of maritime vessels.”
For public vehicles, Kezer noted the immediate challenges. “The vast majority of municipal vehicles are specialized vehicles and heavy equipment,” he said. “The marketplace isn’t quite there yet for a lot of the types of vehicles that municipalities use.”
Marblehead Municipal Light Department Executive Director Joe Kowalik described how they are preparing its infrastructure: “We have a situation here on the ground where we can begin setting up different rate structures for public charging, municipal fleet charging and light department vehicles,” he said. “We’re learning by doing and developing actual experiences with how this works today.”
The plan includes several funding opportunities including state MOR-EV rebates up to $2,500 for battery electric vehicles and federal tax credits up to $7,500 for eligible vehicles.
Casey outlined three immediate actions: engaging with the Mass Fleet Advisor program, applying for on-street charging planning assistance and exploring electric school bus conversion funding through the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act grant program.
“I’d like to develop some targets and come back to the committee with draft recommendations,” Casey said. “With our municipal fleet’s average vehicle age being 15 years, it’s definitely a good time to start thinking about this transition.”
The Green Implementation Committee will review draft implementation guidelines in May, with final recommendations expected by summer.
