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

To receive incentives, customers cannot order equipment or start construction of their projects, as determined by the date installation costs are incurred/invoiced to the customer, prior to the date of their Application Approval Letter.

As of 10/17/25 eligible customers are no longer required to apply to MassEVIP or other state and federal available funding opportunities the project is eligible for. However, all program participants still need to report third party funds (EVIP or others) received when applying for National Grid incentives. A customer may apply to only additional funding opportunities and forgo the incentives being offered by National Grid if they choose. 

As of 10/17/25, publicly accessible projects receiving third-party funds (from MassEVIP or any other third-party funding source) can stack funds but may not be incentivized for more than 100% of individual project costs (EVSE, make-ready, networking). If more than 100% of an individual category’s cost is incentivized (with the combined third-party and utility funding) the utility incentives for that cost category will be reduced accordingly.

For Fleet, MUD or Workplace projects (those not accessible by the public), the amount of additional incentives approved through MassEVIP or another funding source will be subtracted from the utility program incentives. National Grid must deduct those funds from the utility program incentives, regardless of cost category that was funded. Applicants can choose to cancel their EVIP applications if they want to solely pursue utility funding. However, if their utility application offer letter was sent prior to 10/17/25, they will need to cancel their utility application and reapply to be placed back into the queue.

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.

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 located within the same property boundary as a 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. To check property boundaries, refer to the MassGIS Interactive Property Map or equivalent local assessor parcel information.  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 and DCFC hardware, please submit an application through EPRI using their Vendor Application. Beginning January 1, 2025, all L2 and DCFC hardware must be listed on the EPRI VPL to be eligible for the EV Charging Program.

If you have additional questions about the hardware qualification process, 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

Yes, commercial customers with greater than 50 kW AC EV charging loads can participate in several ways.

Curtailment: Customers may enroll in Targeted and/or Daily Dispatch and not charge EV loads during demand response (DR) events. If the customer typically charges when DR events are called, metered usage data will identify the curtailment and the customer would earn an incentive.

Discharge: For bi-directional EVSE, customers may be eligible to discharge connected EVs to their facility and/or to the grid during DR events and receive payment for the discharge.

For additional information, please visit ConnectedSolutions.