Largo, Maryland – The increasing popular interest in environmental awareness and impact includes the impact of gas-powered vehicles on the planet. At their core, libraries are green organizations, lowering the ecological impact of our modern communities by sharing important resources – such as books, community events, internet access and being cooling and warming centers for innumerable members of the public. For years, the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) has sought to further that spirit of environmental community consciousness by making the idea of owning and using electric vehicles (EV) a more accessible reality for commuters and residents of Prince George’s County.
That goal of creating sustainable communities now also extends even further outside the Library’s doors, with eight of 19 branches in the system providing drivers with electric vehicle charging stations, with the goal of expanding access to charging stations to all of the branches:

• Accokeek
  
• Beltsville 
  
• Bladensburg
  
• Hyattsville
  
• Largo-Kettering
  
• Laurel
  
• New Carrollton
  
• Spauldings

Thanks to library leaders’ eye toward the future in embracing the electric vehicle charging stations, New Carrollton Branch Library hosted Rep. Anthony Brown (MD-04), U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Maryland) and other elected officials, industry leaders and advocates at a September 2021 event in order to promote electric vehicles and push for more infrastructure to fuel their growth. According to PGCMLS CEO Mark Winston, “For an organization that is committed to serving all residents with 19 locations in all regions of the county, we should make the betterment of the environment one of our highest priorities.”

Today, according to data from the Maryland Department of Transportation, there are more than 96,000 electric vehicles registered in the state of Maryland alone, with nearly one in 10 of those in Prince George’s County. Rules adopted in Maryland in 2023 require all new passenger cars and light trucks sold in the state to be electric by model year 2035. That influx of new zero-emissions vehicles on the road points to the need for infrastructure to be in place to charge them – like the electric vehicle charging stations on county property, including libraries. 

These library charging stations are among more than 100 public-purpose electric vehicle charging stations found on Prince George’s County government properties in partnership with local utility companies like Pepco and Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO). An effort years in the making, having the charging stations available to customers and residents positions the library and the county as a whole to work toward meeting goals set by local leaders and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s administration to drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions and get more zero-emission vehicles on the road in the next decade. The Biden Administration is also incentivizing drivers to go electric by offering tax credits for purchases of vehicles and charging equipment through the Inflation Reduction Act. 

In recent months, PGCMLS re-opened its Bladensburg Branch Library, the system’s first LEED certified branch, equipped with solar panels on the roof, permeable pavers, electric car charging stations, energy-efficient HVAC and lighting systems.

About the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System

The Prince George’s County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) helps customers discover and define opportunities that shape their lives. The Library serves the 967,000+ residents of Prince George’s County, Maryland through 19 branch libraries, a 24/7 online library, and pop-up services throughout the community. PGCMLS is a responsive and trusted community-driven organization. Programs, services, and outreach activities serve book lovers, immigrants and refugees, job seekers, children, young professionals, seniors, and families alike. PGCMLS is the recipient of the 2021 Urban Libraries Council Top Innovator Award for Workforce and Economic Development. Learn more at pgcmls.info/about-us.