By Richard D. Elliott
(BOWIE – March 14, 2024) – The windy and chilly morning of March 10 saw Biden Administration officials, local politicians, and climate advocates gather to celebrate a major victory for Maryland’s business and climate communities: the grand opening of Blink Charging’s new manufacturing facility which opened in a Bowie business park alongside the company’s global corporate HQ while consolidating their warehouses to reduce their climate footprint while increasing their efficiency.
“What a better place to have a sustainability message: we are producing jobs, generating energy security, and making clean energy at the same time,” said Blink Charging CEO Brendan Johnson. “We went state by state, came back to Maryland where we already had a trained workforce and it just made sense. The state and county were both very amenable to what we wanted to do. This mission is to drive positive change and leave. A lasting impact on the environment. Blink’s Charging commitment is just as strong as our job commitment: we will add at least 150 jobs over the next year. The chargers made in this facility are Buy In America-compliant. We are thankful for the administration’s support, which is accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs).”
The new facility is 30,000 square feet and operates on a line system to ensure quality control. With the expansions and consolidation of their supply line, the new facility is expected to produce over 50,000 chargers annually, more than doubling their previously expected output. The company is also expecting to double the 50 employees in their main facility within a year and to build the Charging Center of Excellence, focusing on quality testing and customer satisfaction, with a fresh workforce of highly-trained engineers. The Maryland Department of Commerce has approved a $1 million conditional loan and Prince George’s County plans to provide a conditional loan of $120,000, according to CEO Jones.
Governor Wes Moore (D) was given a private tour of the manufacturing facility once he arrived while several workers assembled 48 amp cables. He asked questions about quality control and where some of the workers had learned their trade while thanking them for their contributions.
“I’m thrilled to be here in amazing Prince George’s with an exciting announcement: in partnership with the Biden Administration, we are watching Blink expand to have the capacity to make 50,000 chargers,” said Governor Moore in a televised interview in the manufacturing facility.
“This is a realization of the vision that we need a battery-powered future. This is a big deal; it will help to address the climate and create manufacturing jobs.” He cited this development as more than doubling Blink’s charger output and as a continuing trend in Maryland’s thriving business climate.
“A lot warmer in here!”, exclaimed Congressman Steny Hoyer (D- District 5) while walking inside and just before joining the Governor’s tour. The longtime Congressman, who has previously expressed pride in President Biden’s initiatives to support electric vehicles, was excited to see the high-tech facility and to highlight how leaders including President Biden and Governor Moore made this possible.
“This is a specific example of the Invest in America agenda under President Biden, which spurred giant public investment into private industry. That’s what the President was talking about in the State of the Union so we don’t have to rely on technology and energy from overseas. One of the reasons they came here is we have a Governor with an eye on the future who is good at collaborating with the federal government and state leaders.”
White House Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi, US Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk, Congressmen Hoyer and Glenn Ivey (D- District 4), Maryland Commerce Secretary Kevin Anderson, Senator Ron Watson (D- District 23), Delegates Adrian Boafo and Kym Taylor (both D- District 23) and Councilwoman Ingrid Watson (D- District 4) were all on hand for the site opening and to field questions about the benefits of EV usage.
“The Governor launched several pivotal laws and an investment agenda that has expanded manufacturing across the country,” said White House Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi. “Thanks to this new capability, we are lining our roads and highways with chargers made in America. We are going to put over 100,000 chargers across the country, giving more power to consumers. Thanks to House and Senate Democrats, including Steny Hoyer, for getting this into the funding package, so we can secure an energy future for the United States.” He further applauded Maryland’s agriculture and offshore wind industries for their support for President Biden’s climate and infrastructure investments.
