Houston, Texas – August 5, 2025 – Houston City Council member Abbie Kamin today unveiled a new electric vehicle charging station at Buffalo Bayou Park, marking a pivotal step in the city’s commitment to sustainable urban infrastructure. The station, equipped with two chargers, represents the first public EV charging facility funded directly by a city council district, utilizing a $100,000 allocation from Kamin’s District C office.

The strategic placement of these chargers in Buffalo Bayou Park, a major recreational hub, addresses the increasing demand from District C residents, who represent a significant portion of Houston’s EV owners. Council Member Kamin emphasized the necessity of such infrastructure, stating, “We shouldn’t even call it an amenity at this point. It is basic modern infrastructure as we not only seek to tackle climate change head on, but allow affordable, accessible options for Houstonians.” This initiative underscores the city’s ambition to evolve beyond its traditional energy capital identity to become a leader in the energy transition.

Constructed by Houston-based EV Bolt, the charging station is located off Allen Parkway, adjacent to Eleanor Tinsley Park. The project is a collaborative effort involving various city departments, District C, Downtown Houston+, CenterPoint Energy, and Evolve, an organization dedicated to promoting EV adoption in the region. Chad Stein, Director of Strategic Business Engagement for CenterPoint Energy, highlighted the grid's role, noting, “These aren’t large chargers, but it’s still something important to ensure that the grid can support the overall load coming in. We want to ensure that we continue to proliferate these charging locations to create a higher adoption rate overall for EVs across the city of Houston and surrounding counties to ensure, you know, a clean air future.”

User costs for the chargers will fluctuate with market rates, mirroring gasoline prices, but the city will not profit from the operation. Charges will solely cover electricity costs and ongoing maintenance, ensuring competitive and affordable access for park visitors. EV Bolt, the operator, also plans to introduce idle charges in the future to encourage timely vehicle unplugging and optimize charger availability.

This local initiative comes as Texas experiences substantial growth in EV registrations, surging from fewer than 12,000 in 2016 to 230,000 in 2023, with nearly two-thirds of this growth occurring between 2021 and 2023. Despite holding the third-highest number of EV registrations nationwide, EVs still constitute less than 1 percent of the state’s total vehicle fleet. The three-year development of this project highlights the challenges faced by municipalities, as Council Member Kamin noted that federal grants for climate change and sustainability have been cut or delayed, prompting direct district action. Kamin expressed hope that this successful deployment will inspire other city council districts to pursue similar self-funded infrastructure projects, addressing Houston’s lag in publicly accessible charging stations compared to other major U.S. cities.