WASHINGTON (7News) — A light went off in Jeff Prosserman’s head when he noticed there were missed opportunities for adding more electric vehicle (EV) chargers.

He is the co-founder and CEO of Voltpost, which retrofits light posts to install EV charging stations, using the existing electrical infrastructure.

“By doing this, we can significantly reduce the costs, the timing, and physical footprint of charger deployment. The interconnection process is with us pulling a single cable bundle through the existing conduit, dropping the power down from overhead, and connecting that to the grid,” Prosserman said. “That process can save tens of thousands of dollars, and install within just a few hours with no construction and trenching.”

Soon, Voltpost will build 16 chargers into D.C. light posts, thanks to a grant from the city.

The D.C. Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) recently awarded $609,000 in grants split among three companies dedicated to building EV charging stations: Voltpost, it’s electric, and PowerUp America.

“The grants are intended to offset the upfront equipment and installation costs associated with expanding EV charging access. One of the selected grantees, Voltpost, plans to install chargers on existing utility poles. Using existing infrastructure can reduce installation costs and deployment timelines compared to traditional charging stations, while also helping serve residents who may not have access to private driveways or parking lots for home charging,” a DOEE spokesperson said in a statement. “This investment aligns with Mayor Muriel Bowser’s continued commitment to modernizing transportation infrastructure, expanding clean energy access, and supporting the District’s climate goals.”

PowerUp America CEO Josh Turner told 7News that this grant money goes a long way to meet the growing demand in D.C., providing the spark needed to build 10 EV chargers.

“EV adoptions continue to grow; we’re seeing it as a national trend. In that, we will see the urban areas built out. But grants like this just help us accelerate infrastructure to make more of an impact today,” Turner said.

Prosserman echoed this sentiment, saying, “Having that convenient and affordable charging access where people park today becomes critically important to ease the transition from gas to electric.”

The third company winning the grant, which is electric, has specialized in building curbside chargers, having already installed one in D.C.

“We won because we are the only company in the U.S. that offers a curbside solution that works for cities, with hardware that any EV driver can use. We are building curbside charging so it can scale in U.S. cities,” an it’s electric spokesperson said in a statement. “For this grant, we’re also exploring how solar infrastructure can be used to power EV charging stations, through a collaboration with Skyhook.”

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation found more than 20 % of new cars bought by D.C. residents were electric vehicles, a rate that was second only to California.

However, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) reports the city owns only 6 total ports at two locations across the city.

There are more than 1,000 privately-run chargers, but the CEOs who spoke with 7News said there are hurdles to building more stations.

“There’s a lot of permitting and a lot of other things you have to deal with to get from A to B,” Turner said. “The District, just because of its location, tends to be higher in power costs than across the river. If you go into Virginia, some of those rates are more competitive. You see a lot of infrastructure providers logically say, ‘Hey, let’s go where the power is cheaper.’”

Prosserman added: “We’re working closely with Pepco, the Department of Energy and Environment, as well as other local agencies in order to find ideal sites for the chargers to be deployed. Working with government agencies and utilities is a slow process, and making sure we create alignment both with local level, the general public, people living on the streets, plus the utilities and the agencies, and factoring that all into the ideal site assessment to deploy.”

These grants are not funded by city taxpayer dollars. Instead, they come from settlement money won by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) against Volkswagen after the company violated the Clean Air Act.

This money was distributed to all states, Puerto Rico, and D.C., and can only be used for environmental mitigation actions, like building more EV charging infrastructure.

“The program is funded through the District’s allocation from the Volkswagen settlement, meaning no District tax dollars are being used beyond staff administration time. EV drivers using the charging stations will pay charging fees, which are expected to cover electricity costs and ongoing operating expenses of the grantee partners. Additionally, the chargers will generate revenue through sales tax and other fees on electricity,” a DOEE spokesperson said in a statement.

Turner said grants like this supercharge the effort to keep up with demand in a way that eases the burden for companies.

“Our goal is to not just get chargers in the ground, but to partner with the community,” Turner said. “We have initiatives in place to continue to reinvest the money from those chargers into more infrastructure. Our goal is to really make a meaningful impact in the community.”

Witnesses who were dining near the White House on Saturday evening described terrifying moments after gunfire erupted near a security checkpoint in Washington, D.C.

“I was scared for my life. I thought I was going to die. I had accepted my death,” said witness Shoshana Greenberg.

Greenberg was visiting the nation’s capital for Memorial Day weekend on a school field trip with 17 classmates and staff members when Secret Service officials said a gunman opened fire on officers shortly after 6 p.m. near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW.

As shots rang out, people inside a nearby restaurant rushed for cover.

“My friends started hiding under the tables at the restaurant,” Greenberg said. “I ran directly to the back of the kitchen and held the door shut with my hand while dialing 911 with my other hand.”

Greenberg said the fear inside the restaurant was overwhelming.

“The door did not have a lock. I was holding it shut with my hand,” she said. “I was sobbing, shaking in the kitchen. I did not want to die. I was being held in my friend’s arms. I was being held later in the restaurant by an immigrant’s arms who did not speak English. We were all very scared and it did not matter that we didn’t know each other. We were helping each other out.”

Six senior law enforcement officials briefed on the matter identified the suspect as 21-year-old Nasire Best, who was shot and later died at a hospital. A bystander was also shot and injured.

Greenberg and her classmates said they were less than 200 feet from the shooting and about a block from White House grounds.

Classmate Meghan Rossol recorded video inside the restaurant as customers and staff hid in the kitchen.

“I am still in complete shock that it happened,” Rossol said. “Part of me is shocked and part of me is in denial that I was so close to having my life taken.”

Rossol said the situation escalated in seconds.

“We had just gone from talking and joking at the dinner table to crying and having anxiety in the back of a kitchen while shots are fired,” she said.

Greenberg, the daughter of NBC10 Jersey Shore reporter Ted Greenberg, said she wanted to speak publicly about the experience because of the broader impact of gun violence.

“I wanted to tell people that this is not okay,” Greenberg said. “There are many innocent people who were scared for their lives. There’s an innocent person who lost his life. This is not okay. We need to stop violence and gun violence in this country.”

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication.