NCCETC Accelerates EV Deployment in the Southeast Through Charging Smart

The North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) is a new partner of Charging Smart, a nationally recognized program funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The program is one of three Energy Ready programs that award designations to communities that have taken action toward making clean energy development more accessible.

Led by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), Charging Smart is an electric vehicle (EV) readiness program that provides free technical assistance to help local governments in decision-making processes that lead to the growth of EVs and charging infrastructure. The program started in 2023, serving local governments primarily in the South and Midwest regions of the United States. In 2024, nine cities in Minnesota were the first to earn Charging Smart designations after local governments updated permitting and inspection practices, reviewed zoning rules, and increased EV charging infrastructure accessibility.

Charging Smart launched at the national level on January 14, 2025, making free technical assistance available to local governments in all 50 states. The partner organizations of Charging Smart will reach out to local governments, provide technical assistance, and work with them to achieve greater EV accessibility in their area. The Great Plains Institute (GPI) is the lead partner on the project, and is joined by other partners including NCCETC, RMI, the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), Forth, the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC), EV Noire, the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus (MMC), and eight Clean Cities and Communities (CC&C) coalitions across the country.

NCCETC will be providing outreach in the Southeast region of the United States to recruit local governments to participate in the program. Brian Lips, Senior Project Manager for Policy at NCCETC, says the Center will work to gather a cohort of local governments in the Southeast rather than pursuing governments one at a time. The Charging Smart Program Guide is a great resource for agencies to learn more about the program’s designation levels and requirements that encourage the growth of EVs at the local level. Local governments can work towards a Charging Smart designation by gaining points in six categories of criteria: planning, regulation, utility engagement, education and incentives, government operations, and shared mobility. Additional points can also be earned for EV infrastructure that serves disadvantaged populations.

Local governments in the Southeast will work with NCCETC to assess which criteria is needed to reach a designation level, then will develop a plan and implement best practices within their agency and community. After documenting and completing the required actions, a local government can submit their work for designation. The implementations are then reviewed by the Designation Program Administrator who will notify the agency of their designation by email within two weeks of the submission.

Lips says the program “takes a holistic look at what EVs need at the local level” and stands out because the criteria has been vetted by national experts, allowing local governments to rest assured that the organizations leading the project have thought of all necessary components. 

Charging Smart has three years of federal funding supporting the program through July 2027. An Introduction to Charging Smart webinar will be held on February 4, 2025, from 2:00pm-3:00pm for those interested in learning more about the program. The webinar will include speakers from GPI, IREC, and a Charging Smart Silver-designated local government.

Local governments in the Southeastern United States can reach out to chargingsmart@ncsu.edu for more information and to inquire about technical assistance from NCCETC.