Newtown Mulls Grant For Electric Vehicle Charging Station
Owners of electric powered vehicles, including those that may be part of the town’s future municipal fleet, could soon cruise into Fairfield Hills or Edmond Town Hall parking lot and plug-in for a free “top-off.”
The Board of Selectmen on June 1 charged several local officials, including Public Works Director Fred Hurley and members of the local Sustainable Energy Commission, to gather data in preparation for filing a grant application to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). That agency announced the first of several rounds of grants that would go to state municipalities to help establish a more robust network of electric vehicle charging stations, particularly focusing on areas lacking those facilities now.
Mr Hurley told selectmen that he believes Newtown would be a prime contender for the maximum grant allocation of $10,000 — which would fund the complete installation of a single pedestal two-vehicle charging station.
Mr Hurley appeared before the selectmen along with Economic Development Coordinator Betsy Paynter, Energy Commission Chair Kathleen Quinn and resident Jeff Jorgenson, an electric vehicle owner who works installing such charging stations.
Ms Paynter told selectmen that electric cars represent a growing segment of state vehicles, and that DEEP “would love to have” Newtown install at least one charging station since western Connecticut apparently has very few of the facilities to serve the growing number of vehicle owners in town and across the region.
She said that top grant qualifiers would have a location on or near one or more major commuting routes, as well as in an area where drivers could park and do other things like shop, eat, or enjoy recreational activities while charging.
Mr Jorgenson said the average vehicle using a 220 volt charging station, similar to what is being considered for Newtown, takes between an hour and two hours to top off or to fully recharge from near empty. He said most electric vehicle owners “plan their day around their trips,” which put them in proximity to charging stations as required.
Quick Turnaround
Mr Hurley told selectmen that time is of the essence, however, since the first grant round deadline is July 21. He expressed confidence that the application could be completed, and a vendor for the installation could be positioned for the project, as long as selectmen hear about and approve all the necessary details during their July 6 regular meeting.
The public works chief said another criteria of the grant is that the charging station has to be operable by November.
Ms Quinn said while her commission has not yet discussed the proposal, she said she backs Mr Hurley’s idea that Fairfield Hills would be the optimal location for the first grant attempt.
Mr Hurley said proximity to Routes 84 and 25, and the fact that the campus has the necessary utility infrastructure and controls, would maximize Newtown’s opportunity to qualify under the DEEP grant criteria.
“We’re also looking at electric vehicles for the town fleet, so it could provide a place for recharging those vehicles overnight,” Mr Hurley said.
Mr Jorgenson said that about 80 percent of the 25,000 miles he drives annually in his Chevrolet Volt is powered by electrical charge versus by the car’s supplemental gasoline engine. He said after the electricity he draws during his commutes from free public charging stations, the balance of power he uses to charge his vehicle at home has boosted his electric bill by about $20 per month.
Mr Hurley said he envisions a possible second charging station at Edmond Town Hall, where users could charge while catching a movie, or enjoying a snack at the General Store or other area restaurants.
Electric Vehicle Growth
Mr Jorgenson said that by 2023, the industry is projecting a 400 percent growth in electric vehicle ownership, and that prices for many of the cars are coming down. While he said the high profile Tesla is still astronomically expensive, a consumer could now pick up a used Volt for around $15,000.
“We’re looking at a half-million electric vehicles nationally by the end of 2015, with the adoption of electric vehicles [outpacing] hybrids,” he said. “We’re expecting to see 3,000 owned in Connecticut by the end of this year.”
While charging stations installed through the DEEP grant program would be required to supply free charging power for three years, with electricity cost being borne by the municipality, Mr Jorgenson said that local businesses around these stations begin to show benefits almost immediately.
Since he has conversations with private developers and property owners daily about installing charging stations, Mr Jorgenson said he often shares data showing that electric vehicle owners typically stop and charge for at least an hour — and that the average vehicle owner spends 30 percent more time shopping in adjacent businesses while they are waiting for the charge to complete.
“These haven’t proven to be profit centers [themselves], but retailers in the area of these stations track revenue increases tied to the presence of the stations,” Mr Jorgenson said. “Plus, it’s a community service.”