(ABC 6 News) – You might see them in parking ramps, or at grocery stores – Electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. The state of Minnesota is working on adding more but there are some very specific requirements.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation along with the federal government wants to add 18 EV charging stations along Interstates 94 and 35. Those have to be located no more than 50 miles apart from another station, or an Alternative Fuel Corridor (AFC.) They also need to be open to the public 24/7.

Albert Lea is the only city in our viewing area eligible for the funding. The city added a charging station in the north lot of downtown earlier this year with the help of the Freeborn-Mower Electrical Co-Op. Because of that, there are no plans to add any more. But, the city and the Co-Op are all in for businesses who want to apply.

In a statement to ABC 6 News, Cathy Malakowsky, with the City of Albert Lea said:

“The City of Albert Lea supports private businesses that would like to apply for funding toward EV charging stations. The City installed a station in the North Lot of our historic downtown earlier this year, with Freeborn-Mower Electrical Co-op donating the charger, and thus we have no immediate plans to install more. But we certainly support expanding the charging network as part our of Climate Action Plan. We can all take steps to make our community more resilient to climate change, from big steps like using an electric vehicle to small steps like consolidating our shopping trips to reduce the number of trips and fuel used.”

“We’re going to be in full support of whoever applies. They will reach out to us because they have to provide information on the electric capacity and availability so we will be supportive,” said Bryan Skogheim, the Director of Business Development & Energy Solutions at Freeborn Mower Electric Cooperative.

Skogheim says a charging station can be a big boost for businesses. As MnDOT puts it, also a big sigh of relief for drivers.

“The fast charging stations, it’s still going to be 30-45 minutes depending on the vehicle to charge the station. But we know a lot of people are hesitant to adopt these vehicles because they’re going to run out of fuel and not be able to get where they need to go. So if we want to see that vehicle adoption happen, we really need these stations put in,” said Beth Kallestad, the Principal Sustainability Planner with MnDOT.

MnDOT says the state is looking for applicants who have some experience with a charging station.

It’s going to take a while before we see any charging stations from this particular funding. Applications are open until February and once it’s all narrowed down, it will all depend on the supply chain.

For more information on how to apply, you can click here.