Frequently Asked Questions

National Grid defines a Level 2 EV Charger as an EV Charger that uses 208/240 Vac (Volts alternating current) and supplies AC current to the vehicle; chargers that are powered from 120 Vac are considered Level 1. DC Fast Chargers (DCFC) are defined as chargers which are typically powered from 480 Vac and supply DC current to the vehicle.

EVSE stands for Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment and is a commonly used term for an EV charger.

EVSE, EV Charger, and EV Charging Station are commonly used terms that represent specialized hardware used for charging one or more electric vehicles. An EV Charging Port is a set of hardware that can charge a single vehicle at a given time. Many EVSE are considered dual-port stations, meaning they can charge more than one vehicle (often two) simultaneously. The incentive levels described in the National Grid EV Charging Program materials are described per port. For example, a public Level 2 project installing 5 dual-port EVSEs would be installing 10 ports, and may be eligible for up to $57,000 ($5,700 per port) of infrastructure incentive.

Whether a project qualifies for the EJC incentives is dependent on the project address, and its location within the Massachusetts defined EJC map. Please review the map for questions related to whether a project is eligible for EJC incentives and what criteria of the EJC is met; incentives are based on a tiered structure for income-based and non-income-based EJC status.

Average project costs for per port incentive caps will be determined using historical data. To account for increases in costs year over year, average costs will be assessed annually. Incentive caps will be communicated during the project application process.

Below is a list with some examples of what project costs are covered in Customer-Side Infrastructure and EVSE Rebates, as well as some examples of costs that are not covered in the program. It is important to remember that Customer-Side Infrastructure and EVSE Rebates have their own per-port incentive caps, so costs cannot be shared between the groups.

Costs Covered as Customer-Side Infrastructure

• Electrical Panel
• Conduit
• Trenching
• Step-up and Step-down
• Transformers
• Wiring
• Customer Switchgear
• Design
• Permitting
• Bollards
• Installation Labor
  
  

Costs Covered Under EVSE Rebates

• EVSE purchase
• EVSE shipping & handling
• EVSE accessory kits (ex: bolt-down kit, cable support, power management)
• Networking (via Networking Stipend)
  
  

Costs Not Covered in the Program

• Vehicles
• EVSE Activation
• EVSE Warranty
• Maintenance
• Service Contracts
• Signage
• Painting
• Lighting
• Batteries, onsite generation (may be covered in co-located energy storage)
  
  

If you are unsure about if a cost will be covered, please check with EVnationalgrid@nationalgrid.com.

Yes, as of January 1, 2023, all new installations of Level 1 and Level 2 EV chargers in Massachusetts will need to be listed in the SASD, as well as be OCPP-compliant (MUD projects excluded).

To be eligible to participate in a Commercial (Public and Workplace, Multi-Unit Dwelling, or Fleet) EV Charging Program, your organization must:

1. Be a commercial electric customer of National Grid, or will become a commercial electric customer by installing EV Charging.
2. Your proposed project must be located within the National Grid Massachusetts service territory.
3. Your proposed project will be serviced on a commercial electric rate.
4. Your organization must have the legal authority to install and operate EV charging at the property. Note: An installer can submit the application to National Grid on behalf of a customer.

Yes, independent power producers and customers who take third party supply and are connected to National Grid’s electrical distribution network are eligible to participate in the EV Charging program.

No. However, the Level 2 EVSE rebate incentives may be greater for publicly accessible projects. DCFC projects must be publicly accessible or part of a fleet installation to be eligible for any incentives through the program. See the program brochures for more details about incentive levels.

Commercial EV Charging Program Brochures:

• Public & Workplace EV Charging Program
• Multi-Unit Dwelling EV Charging Program
• Fleet EV Charging Program

Eligible customers must apply to MassEVIP and all other state and federal available and aligned additional funding opportunities the project is eligible for either before, or at the same time as, applying for any National Grid incentives. Please see the Additional Funding Sources Requirements for a list of  additional funding sources. A customer may apply to only additional funding opportunities and forgo the incentives being offered by National Grid if they choose.

The amount of additional incentives approved through MassEVIP or another funding source will be subtracted from the utility program incentives. Please note that the manner in which additional funding is applied may change in the future based on a requested clarification that National Grid is seeking from the Department of Public Utilities.

National Grid will monitor for delays in receiving a response from additional funding opportunities so as not to unnecessarily delay the approval of any National Grid incentives. If you have applied to an additional funding opportunity and have not heard a response after at least 8 weeks, please contact National Grid at EVnationalgrid@nationalgrid.com.

Customers are required to apply to MassEVIP for all eligible projects. If the project is known to be ineligible for MassEVIP support, the customer is not required to apply to MassEVIP, however, when applying to the National Grid EV Charging Program, they are required to provide the reason why they did not apply to MassEVIP and National Grid will determine how that impacts the potential incentive level for the project.

National Grid is excited to launch an online application portal for the most recent phase of its MA EV Charging Program to streamline customer applications. Visit the online portal. Please note that for some programs, paper applications may still be accepted as we transition to the online portal.

Applications submitted will be processed in the order in which they are received. National Grid is committed to reviewing applications as expeditiously as possible.

National Grid recognizes that new service cycle times have been longer than expected in the past. We are focused on improving this process and have already implemented plans to dedicate more EV resources to the new service request process to support the anticipated demand over the next four years

All projects must submit the National Grid invoice template. You may attach a copy of your own company invoice if desired for additional information.

EVSE costs are factored into the incentive calculation separate from the customer infrastructure. To determine the EVSE rebate amount, National Grid multiplies the Incentive Tier Rebate percent (ex: 50% for non-EJC MUD Level 2 ports) by the lesser of either the EVSE Rebate Cap (ex: $3,600 per Level 2 port) or the EVSE invoiced cost. At the start of the program, the EVSE Rebate Cap for Level 2 ports is $3,600 per port.

Example 1:

• Project is publicly accessible Level 2 ports in an Environmental Justice Community for the income criteria, so the EVSE Incentive Tier Rebate percent is 100%.
• EVSE Invoice is $3,000 per port, (less than $3,600 per port cap)
• EVSE Rebate will be $3,000 per port = [100%] x [$3,000 per port]

Example 2:

• Project is Level 2 ports at a Multi-Unit Dwelling in an Environmental Justice Community for a criteria other than income, so the EVSE Incentive Tier Rebate percent is 75%.
• EVSE Invoice is $4,000 per port, (greater than $3,600 per port cap)
• EVSE Rebate will be $2,700 per port = [75%] x [$3,600 per port]

Yes, your project can be a mix of both Level 2 and DCFC ports, but they will need to be submitted to the portal as two separate projects. They will need to progress in parallel through the application process.

Yes, to receive a new or upgraded utility service a public, workplace, or MUD customer must install a project with least four Level 2 ports or at least 100 kW of DCFC charging capacity. Fleet customers are not subject to this 100 kW DCFC project minimum.

Yes, even if EVSEs are not incentivized as part of the EV Charging Program application, EVSEs are required to be installed for a customer to receive infrastructure incentives.

Yes, there is no limit to the number of sites within the Program at which a single entity can participate, however restrictions apply if the site has previously received funding (see the next two FAQ below regarding locations with existing EVSE). Within the MUD EV Charging Program and the Fleet EV Charging Program, there are incentive caps for single entities per year. More details can be found in those Programs’ respective FAQ sections.

Commercial EV Charging Incentive Caps:

• Public & Workplace – see the question, "Is there a maximum amount for the Public & Workplace EV Charging Program EVSE rebate on a project?"
• Multi-Unit Dwelling –  see the question, “Are there size limits on a Multi-Unit Dwelling for the MUD EV Charging Program?”
• Fleet – see the question, “Is there a maximum amount for the Fleet EV Charging Program EVSE rebate on a project?“

No, projects to replace existing Level 2 or DCFC EV Chargers are ineligible to participate in the EV Charging Program, even if the replacements have additional benefits such as different plug types or increased charging capacity. Projects that replace Level 1 charging are acceptable. Projects that add additional charging ports to existing capacity may be eligible (see the next FAQ below regarding adding additional EV Chargers).

Customers can add additional chargers to their property, however if the new project is determined to be a part of the same site of a previous project that participated in this or any past phase of the EV Charging Program, then the additional chargers will be ineligible for EVSE rebates and networking stipends. A site is defined as prewiring of electrical infrastructure at a set of parking spaces to facilitate cost-efficient installation of a bank of EVSE, either Level 2 and/or DCFC, on a property within National Grid service territory owned or controlled by the Customer. A site may include a service panel, junction boxes, conduit, wiring and other components necessary to make a particular location able to accommodate a bank of EVSE. It is possible for a customer to have multiple sites on their property, and this would be determined by the National Grid Electric Design team. To inquire further, please reach out to EVnationalgrid@nationalgrid.com.

Yes. If there is no infrastructure work necessary to provide EV charging as of the date that construction is deemed complete per the final project documentation AND this is not the site of previously supported projected, then a project can be supported without infrastructure incentives.

No, the National Grid approved Charging Station Installers (CSIs) are not required for a project, however they are recommended as they have completed National Grid-supported EV projects in the past and are very familiar with the program.

For L2 hardware, please submit an application through EPRI using their Vendor Application. L2 hardware requirements include being listed in the SASD and OCPP-compliance. Beginning April 1, 2024, National Grid will maintain a list of L2 hardware from the SASD with OCPP compliance on the Qualified Equipment List, as well as include a link to the EPRI VPL. For the remainder of 2024, L2 hardware may either be listed on the Qualified Equipment List or the EPRI VPL. Beginning in January 2025, all L2 hardware must be listed on the EPRI VPL. For details on how to get listed in the SASD, check out the SASD Compliance FAQs. For details on how to apply to the EPRI VPL, check out the EPRI Vendor Application.

For DCFC hardware, please submit an application through EPRI, using their Vendor Application. Please note beginning April 1, 2024, DCFC hardware may be listed on either the Qualified Equipment List or the Massachusetts tab of the EPRI VPL. Beginning in January 2025, DCFC must be listed on the EPRI VPL. As of March 8, 2024, National Grid is not accepting new applications for DCFC listing on the Qualified Equipment List, and any new DCFC hardware should apply through EPRI.

If you have additional questions about the SASD or EPRI, please reach out to EVnationalgrid@nationalgrid.com.

National Grid periodically issues a Request for Proposals (RFP) for organizations to join the Charging Station Installer (CSI) program. If you would like to be notified for a future RFP, please email EVnationalgrid@nationalgrid.com