CITY OF NEW ORLEANS RECEIVES THE SOUTH’S FIRST “CHARGING SMART GOLD” DESIGNATION FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE READINESS
NEW ORLEANS — The City of New Orleans is the first city in Louisiana and the first in the South to receive a gold designation from the national Charging Smart program for its success implementing policies that facilitate the expansion of electric vehicles (EVs) and EV charging infrastructure.
As a Charging Smart Gold designee, New Orleans has adopted nationally recognized best practices to accelerate the deployment of EVs in the community and has worked with Charging Smart's no-cost technical assistance team to increase local knowledge of EV infrastructure to promote the City’s economic development and energy goals.
“The ‘Charging Smart Gold’ designation demonstrates that New Orleans is a national leader in making critical investments in resilient infrastructure,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “We have put in the hard work in terms of both policy and practice. These environmental innovations will ensure that our residents are able to live and thrive here for years to come.”
Charging Smart is led by partners including the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and Louisiana Clean Fuels and is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Vehicle Technologies Office.
“Building on the City of New Orleans' first-in-Louisiana SolSmart designation, the Charging Smart program is thrilled to announce that NOLA has earned our first Gold designation in the South,” said Ed Gilliland, Senior Director at the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), who manages the Charging Smart program. “By removing barriers to transportation electrification and other clean technologies, New Orleans is leading the way toward a more resilient future.”
To achieve Charging Smart Gold designation, New Orleans set ambitious energy transition goals, implemented EV charging policies, and launched citywide EV charging programs in alignment with the Net Zero by 2050 - Climate Action Plan and supporting the Plan for Generational Economic Transformation’s energy future goals. City staff have streamlined the EV charging approval process for the public, installed 30 free, public charging stations across the city, and continued to make progress on transitioning the municipal fleet to EVs.
A commitment to making EV charging more seamless for New Orleanians is shared across multiple departments including the Department of Public Works, Safety and Permits, the Office of Resilience and Sustainability, and the Office of Economic Development. The policies and procedures enacted will make it faster, easier, and more affordable for local residents, businesses, and nonprofit organizations to install EV infrastructure and to transition to EVs.
“This designation is humbling recognition of the work each City department puts into making New Orleans resilient,” said Ruda Pollard, New Energy Economy Policy and Program Manager in the Office of Economic Development. “National best practices, innovative policy, and community connectivity to our economy ensures sustainable progress and anchors success locally. I’m proud to have been a part of the team that gets to celebrate being Charging Smart’s first gold-designated city in the South.”
Local governments achieve a Charging Smart designation by meeting established criteria that are based on national best practices for building EV-friendly communities. The Charging Smart team of experts offers no-cost technical assistance and resources to help communities put these practices into action. Those that meet the criteria are designated Charging Smart Gold, Silver, or Bronze.
“Louisiana Clean Fuels appreciated the opportunity to work closely with New Orleans’s offices of Economic Development and Resilience and Sustainability,” said Travis Pittman, Louisiana Clean Fuels Fleet Outreach Coordinator. “We are proud to see the tremendous effort and strides New Orleans is taking to advance EV adoption. We look forward to continuing to work closely with them in the future as we progress this work.”
New Orleans has also recently been designated SolSmart Bronze for adopting national best practices in the solar industry including becoming a SolarApp+ solar permitting city. Solar permitting in New Orleans is now smoother with streamlined processes, innovative software, and ongoing training for staff and the local solar business industry.
The benefits of joining and participating in Charging Smart include supporting communities’ economic development goals in sustainability, facilitating the development of local EV charging infrastructure, and increasing community awareness of electric vehicle charging needs. Technical assistance and structured support are provided directly to local governments seeking to lower permitting and inspection barriers on their journey to support EV adoption. Learn more at Charging Smart.org.
EV Charging Permit guidance can be found at www.nola.gov/ev-charging-permit/. Additional helpful links can be found below:
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