More electric vehicle (EV) charging stations like this one inside the new Market Street Parking Garage will be coming to city operated locations in Wheeling soon, thanks to federal funding authorized through the Inflation Reduction Act. (Photo by Eric Ayres)

WHEELING – Federal funding will be used to expand the number of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to additional locations in the city of Wheeling.

This month, members of Wheeling City Council unanimously approved an ordinance authorizing Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron to spend $73,915 with Yahn Electric Company Inc. of Wheeling for installation of EV chargers at the Intermodal Transportation Center downtown and at Centre Market in Center Wheeling.

The expenditure will be charged to the city’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant fund.

“This funding came through the Inflation Reduction Act during the Biden Administration,” Herron explained. “It was put on hold when President Trump took office and has subsequently been released. This was a project that we actually had bid out a couple of years ago. The contractors held the price.”

Yahn Electric Company Inc. was the low bidder for the project. By comparison, ERB Electric bid $78,850 for the job, and United Electric bid $75,000. The job will bring three new EV chargers to the Intermodal Transportation Center and two new charging stations to Centre Market.

“We currently have four at the Market Street Parking Structure, so this will add five more,” Herron said.

The Centre Market EV charging stations will occupy existing on-street parking spaces near the Lower Market House, Herron explained.

“Unfortunately, it will require two parking spaces,” he said, noting that the chargers will occupy two existing spaces on the loop around the market houses.

The charges being installed in the Intermodal Transportation Center on Main Street near WesBanco Arena will likely be installed on the second floor of the parking structure, according to the city manager. Officials said there have been no issues so far with the city-owned EV charging stations.

“We haven’t had any problems,” Herron said. “The only problem we’ve had is when people park electric cars there and not charge them. But we’ve not had any problems when they use them correctly.”

The city of Wheeling purchased new Nissan Leaf electric vehicles that are used as parking enforcement vehicles. The cars are outfitted with Electronic Tire Chalking or Digital Tire Chalking cameras and software that help monitor the city’s limited free downtown parking regulations and identify vehicles that violate the time limits when parking downtown.

Those vehicles have been charged at the EV charging stations inside the new Market Street Parking Garage, which included the stations as part of its design.

Motorists from the general public who drive electric or hybrid vehicles that need to be charged can do so at the EV stations operated by the city. Payments are accepted at each EV charging station kiosk. The revenue generated by use of the charging stations go to the individual facilities where they are located, Herron indicated.

Revenues from the EV charging stations at the Market Street Parking Garage go into that structure’s budget. At the Intermodal Transportation Center, revenue will go into a separate fund for that facility, as is required by the Federal Transportation Authority, the city manager explained. Revenue from the EV charging stations that will be placed at Centre Market will go into the city’s general fund.

“The Centre Market revenue will go toward the general fund, because 100% of the Centre Market is funded out of the general fund,” Herron explained.