January
20
Tuesday

MURB Electrification and EV Charging (Jan. 20, 2026)

Theme: 

How can communities leverage electrical planning reports, opportunity assessments, and EV planning studies to better support Multi-unit Residential Buildings (MURBs) with retrofits and EV charging? 

Meeting Objectives:  

  • Develop a common understanding of electrical planning reports, opportunity assessments, and EV planning studies.  
  • Share examples, lessons learned, and open questions from across jurisdictions to support peer learning and collective problem-solving. 
  • Discuss how communities can engage MURBs and stratas, identify constraints and opportunities, and explore possible partnerships. 
  • Build professional connections and relationships while providing a supportive and positive climate community. 
  • Electrical capacity, not lack of interest, is the main bottleneck. Across jurisdictions, the biggest constraint to MURB electrification and EV charging is limited electrical capacity. EPRs help identify these constraints early, allowing stratas to better sequence EV charging, heat pumps, and other upgrades and avoid costly premature service upgrades. 
  • EV readiness is an effective entry point for broader electrification. Both Penticton and Kamloops shared that EV charging often sparks initial strata interest. Once engaged, EV Ready Plans and EPRs can open the door to broader conversations about electrical capacity, energy management systems, and future building retrofits. 
  • Integrated and locally supported programs drive strong uptake. Penticton’s approach of fully funding EV Ready Plans and EPRs, streamlining administration, and contracting dedicated consultants led to very high demand. This showed how local governments can play a catalytic role by reducing financial and process barriers for stratas. 
  • Plans alone are not enough; follow-up support is critical. While EPRs and EV Ready Plans are technically strong, multiple participants noted that stratas often struggle to translate reports into action. Ongoing support, such as guided walkthroughs, connections to contractors, financing information, and implementation pathways, is essential to maintain momentum. 
  • Framing matters: comfort, resilience, and cost clarity resonate. Participants observed that stratas are often more motivated by cooling, comfort, resilience, and cost certainty than emissions alone. Clear communication about costs, incentives, and phased approaches helps address hesitation and build confidence. 

About the Electric Mobility Peer Network

Supporting communities in accelerating the transition to electric mobility to reduce transportation emissions and maximize community well-being.

 Tuesday Jan. 20, 2026
PDT