Four new electric vehicle charging stations will be installed in Elmwood Township as part of several EV upgrades planned by Traverse City Light & Power.

Work began this week to install four ChargePoint DC fast chargers at the Brewery Creek site south of M-22 in Greilickville, after the TCLP Board approved a 10-year agreement with Elmwood Township to host the chargers and an $87,643 contract with Windemuller Inc. of Traverse City for installation.
Jacob Hardy, the utility’s sustainability and key accounts manager, said the total infrastructure,

installation and equipment costs for the Brewery Creek work came in at some $358,324. A $140,000 grant to the utility from General Motors (GM) for electric vehicle infrastructure will offset some of the costs, with a federal alternative vehicle refueling tax credit covering another $87,330. The remaining $130,994 will be paid out of the utility’s 2025-26 operating budget.

Hardy says the Brewery Creek site was selected because it met the criteria for GM’s grant program that included high-traffic, proximity to nearby amenities including the Elmwood Township Marina, and a gap in nearby charging facilities. The project is scheduled for completion by June 30 to ensure its eligibility for the federal tax credits.

TCLP is also planning upgrades later this year to its EV charging stations at the city’s Clinch Park Marina and at the utility’s Customer Service Center at 130 Hall St.

At Hall Street, Hardy says TCLP will remove its four Level 2 chargers and the existing fast charger unit, and replace them with four ChargePoint DC fast chargers to make it consistent with the equipment being installed at Brewery Creek. Fast chargers operate 10 to 20 times faster than Level 2 chargers depending on vehicle and battery type.

Clinch Park will also have its four Level 2 chargers replaced and will have four ChargePoint DC fast chargers installed. Both the Hall Street and Clinch Park upgrades are planned for this fall, Hardy says. The work at Clinch Park is also eligible for $140,000 in grant funding through GM, Hardy says, while additional grant dollars are being sought for the Hall Street upgrades.