Guest blog post by MCE EV Charging Partner, 7 Stars Holistic Healing Center
At 7 Stars Holistic Healing Center, we believe in the power of plants as medicine, and climate change is one of the biggest threats facing us today. As a local business that relies on growing plants for our lives and livelihoods, we are doing our part to green operations, decarbonize transportation, and grow our sustainability knowledge.
The 7 Stars Story
In 2022, 7 Stars began researching how our Richmond-based dispensary could offer a zero-emissions delivery service for our customers. We recognize that transportation is the biggest source of emissions in California and as a business deeply impacted by climate change, we wanted to make a difference. During the research process 7 Stars learned about MCE’s EV charging program.
Between MCE and the support available through Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA), we were able to get multiple incentives for installing EV charging. There’s a lot to learn with EV charging and MCE supported 7 Stars staff every step of the way. Our overall project cost was just over $26,500 but we received $22,000 in rebates, bringing our out of pocket costs to only $4,500. MCE and CCTA’s rebates covered over 80% of the project cost!
“To fight climate change every industry has to reduce or eliminate carbon emissions, and a crucial part of that is electrifying transportation,” said Ian Elwood, Director of Marketing at 7 Stars Holistic Healing Center. “By switching to renewable energy and offering EV charging we are setting the green standard for the cannabis industry. We challenge other dispensaries, brands, and farmers to join us by greening their transportation networks. We couldn’t have done it without MCE’s help!”
While working with MCE, 7 Stars also learned about MCE’s Deep Green program which provides 100% renewable energy. An electric vehicle is only as green as the energy you charge it with, so the switch to 100% renewable energy was a no-brainer for us. We are now powering our dispensary and our delivery vehicles with 100% renewable energy, fighting climate change and bringing the power of plants to our customers.
7 Stars EV Charging Project
4 EV Charging Ports
Total cost: $26,525.20
MCE rebate: $14,000.00
CCTA rebate: $8,000.00
How You Can Take Advantage of EV Charging with MCE
MCE’s EV charging program can help your workplace go green by offering rebates for installation of new charging equipment. Take advantage of technical assistance to help you plan your project and a list of vetted contractors.
| Charger Level | MCE Service Type | |
|---|---|---|
| Light Green | Deep Green | |
| Level 1 | $750 per port | $875 per port |
| Level 2 | $3,000 per port | $3,500 per port |
Save More With Additional Rebates in Your Area
- Contra Costa: Receive up to an additional $2,000 through Charge up Contra Costa. Projects must be located within low-income or disadvantaged communities in Contra Costa County according to Cal-Enviro Screen 4.0.
- Marin: Receive up to an additional $3,000 per L2 charging port and $750 per L1 charging port for the public sector from Transportation Authority of Marin’s Alternative Fuel & Electric Vehicle Program
