Commercial Electric Vehicle
Make-Ready Program
As electric vehicles (EVs) become more popular, multifamily building owners, public charging providers, and employers are increasingly considering the benefits of offering EV charging. Installing charging stations can attract and retain residents, customers, or employees, boost property value, and demonstrate a commitment to sustainability. However, there are challenges to consider, such as equipment and installation costs, potential electrical upgrades, and ongoing maintenance. Minnesota Power’s EV Make-Ready program for Multifamily Dwellings, Public and Workplace charging helps make installation easier and more affordable by:
- Covering a portion of the cost to install the electrical infrastructure required to support EV chargers.
- Connecting you with our network of trusted contractors experienced in installing EV chargers.
Together, we’ll guide you through planning and installation, answering any questions along the way.
Eligible Expenses
Minnesota Power’s EV Make-Ready program helps reduce the upfront costs of installing EV charging infrastructure. Incentives are available for both utility-owned and customer-owned equipment. Multifamily Dwellings may also qualify for incentives for up to three qualified Level 2 chargers. See the chart below for examples of covered expenses.
MAKE-READY PROGRAM COMPONENTS
Minnesota Power-Owned
Infrastructure to the Meter
- Distribution Network
- Meters
- Transformers
- Conductors
Customer-Owned
Infrastructure to the Charger
- Panels
- Boring
- Conduit
- Conductors
- Trenching
- Level 2 Charger (MDU only)
Available Incentives
The program provides support for utility-side expenses for both single and three-phase services, up to a specified limit. Customers may also qualify for reimbursement on their own infrastructure costs for Level 2 charger installations, up to a maximum amount. For details on available incentives, please see the table below.
Customer-side contributions for Level 2 Chargers:
- Multifamily Dwellings: Up to 3 qualified Level 2 chargers
- Public and Workplace Charging: No contribution towards EV chargers
AVAILABLE INCENTIVES
1 Income-qualified Multifamily Dwelling buildings defined as: five or more units; must have at least 50 percent of the units occupied by income-qualified households. If a building meets this threshold of occupancy by income-qualified households, 100 percent of the building can be considered income-qualified.
2 For purposes of this program, disadvantaged communities will include those determined using the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool published by the Council on Environmental Quality, environmental justice areas, as determined by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency or as defined under Minn. Statute 216B.1691 Subdivision 1(e), and federally identified Tribal lands located within Minnesota Power service territory.
* Contribution limited to Level 2 infrastructure costs.
- Only Multifamily Dwellings, Public Charging and Workplace Charging installations are eligible.
- Limit of one project per customer per year.
- Minnesota Power account must be in good standing.
- Be the facility owner or have written consent from the building owner to participate.
- Be willing to maintain the chargers by adhering to ongoing maintenance recommendations of the manufacturer and perform site maintenance (snow and vegetation management, etc.) as needed.
- Must establish a dedicated EV service separate from all other load on site and be billed on one of Minnesota Power’s EV rates.
- Require a minimum of two installed charging plugs (Level 2 or DCFC where applicable) per project.
- DC fast chargers must use Combined Charging System (“CCS”) and/or North American Charging Standard (“NACS”) connectors.
- Provide proof of purchased charging stations and dates for expected arrival of charging stations prior to the Company beginning deployment of make-ready infrastructure.
- Requests to future proof infrastructure for future charging expansion cannot be funded through this program. If desired, the incremental costs associated with future proofing initiatives can be funded by the customer.
- Open Charge Point Protocol (“OCPP”)-compliant chargers will be required in MDU settings where the Company is including the cost of up to three Level 2 chargers in the rebate calculation.
All applications are reviewed and scored after the current program year application deadline of May 1st, 2026. The table below details the different weights and criteria used to evaluate applications. Applicants that are selected will be notified by June 1st, 2026.
Applications that were not selected will be placed on a waiting list in order of application score. If funds still exist after selected projects are completed, additional applications will be accepted into the program. Any application that is not selected is eligible to apply for the following program year.
- Income-qualified facility or located within recognized disadvantaged community
- Proximity to MDU buildings (for publicly available, non-MDU proposals)
- Current or planned use of renewable energy
- Chargers are publicly available
- Make up of renters vs. owners (for MDU proposals specifically)
- Estimated number of EV drivers expected to utilize chargers
- Minnesota Power account in good standing
- Project timeline feasibility
- Estimated project costs
- Required distribution system upgrades
- Previous participation in make-ready program
- Total planned charger capacity (kW)
- Total number of Level 2 or DCFC (where applicable) plugs
- Estimated increase in number of Level 2 or DCFC (where applicable) within three years
- Chargers are OCPP compliant
-
MDU Projects:
- - Percent of spaces directly served by customer-side infrastructure
- - Percent of spaces with access to Level 2 chargers, NEMA outlets or junction boxes
INFORMATION AND APPLICATION
Contact Minnesota Power to learn more about its EV Make-Ready program and submit an application. We can help answer your questions about which equipment to install, how to bill EV owners for using chargers, installation best practices, and more. We also highlight important things to verify before you start, so your EV charging project proceeds smoothly and successfully.
FIND AN ELECTRICIAN/INSTALLER
New lookup tool coming soon!
CREATE A SITE DESIGN
Work with Minnesota Power and your contractor to develop a site plan. Determine charger layout, equipment options, and charger management.
APPLICATION REVIEW
Ensure all required information on application checklist is submitted prior to the program year deadline – May 1, 2026. Applicants will be notified if their project is selected by June 1, 2026.
CONSTRUCTION
Once a project has been selected, construction may begin. Work with your contractor and Minnesota Power to ensure all required information and documentation is provided.
Apply Today
Don’t miss your chance to participate in Minnesota Power’s EV Make-Ready Program! The application deadline is May 1, 2026. To get started, simply complete our pre-application form below. Once submitted, a Minnesota Power representative will reach out to discuss your project and guide you through the next steps. We encourage you to apply at any time during the year to begin the process and ensure you have all the information you need before the deadline.
EV Make-Ready program pre-applicationYou will need the following submitted before the application deadline.
Make-Ready Checklist
The following items are required as part of your Make-Ready application. While you don’t need to have everything ready at the time of submission, please ensure all required items are submitted by the program deadline of May 1, 2026.
- Completed EV Make-Ready Application
- Completed Minnesota Power Construction Application
- Detailed Site Plans
- Detailed Electrical Drawings
- Contractor Quotes
- W9 for Rebate Recipient
Need more information?
Contact the Minnesota Power EV Group at electricvehicles@mnpower.com or by phone at 218-355-2843 Option 6.
