Michigan's $10M EGLE Grant: A game-changer for retailers owning the EV experience
At Electric Era, we talk a lot about how the next generation of public charging won’t be defined by hardware alone. It will be defined by the integration of loyalty, retail media, store operations, and data.
EV charging is rapidly becoming another digital omni-channel touchpoint for retail operations and leading brands are realizing they need to own that customer experience. My home state of Michigan is stepping up to the plate to help businesses do exactly that.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has opened a $10 million grant program for charging infrastructure that specifically prioritizes business owners through their preference for direct ownership. If you are a commercial property owner or retailer looking to modernize your footprint, this is an opportunity to lower your capital risk while keeping control of your customer journey.
Across the United States, Electric Era has helped our customers win over $18.4M in state funding programs just like this one. As experts in this space, here’s our break down on how business owners should be strategically approaching this new program:
Financials & funding match
The program will fund up to $500,000 per project and is awarding projects on a rolling basis, allowing you to move quickly. In a unique move that further reduces risk and station operating costs, the state allows you to include 5 years of upfront Operations and Maintenance (O&M) costs as part of your grant funding.
Applicants are required to provide a 20%-40% match. Notably, the required match drops to the minimum 20% if your site is located within an environmental justice community, within 5 miles of the Lake Michigan Circuit layer, or in the Upper Peninsula - areas that encompass a significant portion of the state
Hardware & uptime requirements
To qualify, your proposed charging station must feature DC fast charging with a minimum of 50 kW continuous power output per port. Each charger must have at least one CCS1 connector. Additionally:
- Your site must be ADA compliant and accessible 24/7.
- You must maintain a strict 97% uptime.
Navigating the red tape
Unlike burdensome federal programs, Michigan EGLE has designed this program to significantly reduce the complexity for applicants. The agency is not requiring BABA (Build America, Buy America) compliance and they've also set a modest minimum power level (50kW). This program design serves to decrease charging station costs and improve implementation simplicity.
Maximizing Your score: Batteries and incentives
opportunity. The core EGLE grant scores proposals out of 100 total points based on three main criteria:
- Project Alignment, Quality, and Completeness: 35%
- Project Feasibility and Operational Readiness: 35%
- Project Impact and Site Rationale: 30%
Projects can earn up to 20% in bonus incentive points on top of the base score. The state specifically encourages the use of BESS and smart charging technology. It also incentivizes site features like pull-through charging and canopies.
This is where Electric Era’s battery-backed technology provides a massive competitive edge. This is especially crucial for locations in the Upper Peninsula, which often face severe power constraint issues and high demand charges, but fortunately qualify for the lower 20% match and can be deployed with innovative Electric Era technology. Our technology allows you to bypass the need for expensive utility upgrades, make your grant application significantly more attractive, and mitigate costly demand charges once the station is live.
The future of public charging will belong to the brands that own the experience. Reach out to the Electric Era team today to evaluate your eligible locations and build a winning proposal strategy.
Not sure where to start with grants? Watch our webinar recording, The 2026 Grant Roadmap for Installing EV Charging Infrastructure.
At Electric Era, we talk a lot about how the next generation of public charging won’t be defined by hardware alone. It will be defined by the integration of loyalty, retail media, store operations, and data.
EV charging is rapidly becoming another digital omni-channel touchpoint for retail operations and leading brands are realizing they need to own that customer experience. My home state of Michigan is stepping up to the plate to help businesses do exactly that.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has opened a $10 million grant program for charging infrastructure that specifically prioritizes business owners through their preference for direct ownership. If you are a commercial property owner or retailer looking to modernize your footprint, this is an opportunity to lower your capital risk while keeping control of your customer journey.
Across the United States, Electric Era has helped our customers win over $18.4M in state funding programs just like this one. As experts in this space, here’s our break down on how business owners should be strategically approaching this new program:
Financials & funding match
The program will fund up to $500,000 per project and is awarding projects on a rolling basis, allowing you to move quickly. In a unique move that further reduces risk and station operating costs, the state allows you to include 5 years of upfront Operations and Maintenance (O&M) costs as part of your grant funding.
Applicants are required to provide a 20%-40% match. Notably, the required match drops to the minimum 20% if your site is located within an environmental justice community, within 5 miles of the Lake Michigan Circuit layer, or in the Upper Peninsula - areas that encompass a significant portion of the state
Hardware & uptime requirements
To qualify, your proposed charging station must feature DC fast charging with a minimum of 50 kW continuous power output per port. Each charger must have at least one CCS1 connector. Additionally:
- Your site must be ADA compliant and accessible 24/7.
- You must maintain a strict 97% uptime.
Navigating the red tape
Unlike burdensome federal programs, Michigan EGLE has designed this program to significantly reduce the complexity for applicants. The agency is not requiring BABA (Build America, Buy America) compliance and they've also set a modest minimum power level (50kW). This program design serves to decrease charging station costs and improve implementation simplicity.
Maximizing Your score: Batteries and incentives
opportunity. The core EGLE grant scores proposals out of 100 total points based on three main criteria:
- Project Alignment, Quality, and Completeness: 35%
- Project Feasibility and Operational Readiness: 35%
- Project Impact and Site Rationale: 30%
Projects can earn up to 20% in bonus incentive points on top of the base score. The state specifically encourages the use of BESS and smart charging technology. It also incentivizes site features like pull-through charging and canopies.
This is where Electric Era’s battery-backed technology provides a massive competitive edge. This is especially crucial for locations in the Upper Peninsula, which often face severe power constraint issues and high demand charges, but fortunately qualify for the lower 20% match and can be deployed with innovative Electric Era technology. Our technology allows you to bypass the need for expensive utility upgrades, make your grant application significantly more attractive, and mitigate costly demand charges once the station is live.
The future of public charging will belong to the brands that own the experience. Reach out to the Electric Era team today to evaluate your eligible locations and build a winning proposal strategy.
Not sure where to start with grants? Watch our webinar recording, The 2026 Grant Roadmap for Installing EV Charging Infrastructure.
