Springfield seeking electric vehicle charging station

The Springfield Selectboard authorized a local economic development group to proceed with a grant application that, if successful, would install an electric vehicle charging station in the downtown.

http://eagletimes.villagesoup.com/p/springfield-seeking-electric-vehicle-charging-station/1158366

Springfield seeking electric vehicle charging station By CHRIS GAROFOLO | Mar 28, 2014 Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on email Share on print More Sharing Services 0 SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Selectboard authorized a local economic development group to proceed with a grant application that, if successful, would install an electric vehicle charging station in the downtown. Carol Lighthall of Springfield on the Move appeared at Monday’s board meeting to present her grant that would construct a charging station at the Springfield Savings & Loan bank lot located on Main Street. Proceeding with the application requires approval from the Selectmen. The grant application is a program provided by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources and the state Agency of Commerce & Community Development. Green Mountain Power would own and maintain the charger and has offered the unit as its contribution to the project. The town would provide site prep and signage. Overall, the project was calculated at roughly $27,687 with an in-kind match of $11,699 (about 42 percent of the total cost). “The town of Springfield most likely would pay electricity, which is estimated at $16 a month,” Lighthall said. Springfield Savings & Loan was selected because of its prime location downtown. They are in the process of finalizing a 20-year lease to use the bank lot and are optimistic it could be completed this summer. The bank has tentatively agreed to grant a 20-year easement in its parking lot, according to a letter from bank President and CEO Daniel Yates. “Let me say that we are pleased to be able to consider participating in such a worthy venture and wish you all the best in pursuit of the grants necessary to make this a reality,” Yates wrote. Lighthall said having the station could not only serve as an economic booster for Springfield, it also would present a more positive impression of the town as an environmentally-friendly community. The purpose of the grant is to support local downtown revitalization efforts and enhance downtown areas by allowing electric vehicle owners the opportunity to enter Vermont communities to enjoy the amenities while conveniently charging their cars, Lighthall said. “I am a fan of our environment, so a project like this for a number of reasons makes sense,” she added. Selectboard member Stephanie Thompson agreed it could serve as a booster for the local economy. “There’s a number of stations in Vermont (about a dozen), so they’re not in every neighborhood and people are going to be seeking out the opportunities to go to these towns; and it usually takes several hours to charge so that’s time that people could be frequenting and visiting our town,” she said. The station would have two parking spaces for the plug-in vehicles. It takes between four-to-six hours to fully charge one of the new green cars. To use such a station, the motorist would need to swipe a credit card. Any usage fee or road tax has not been factored into this unit, but Lighthall said charging $2 per hour would cover the costs of the plug-in. While there are only about a dozen registered electric vehicles in Springfield now, the number across the state has been steadily rising. As of January, 679 electric vehicles were reported in the state to double the figure from the previous year when there were 308.