http://rutlandherald.com/article/20140826/NEWS02/708269950
Published August 26, 2014 in the Rutland Herald
Charging station on track
By SUSAN SMALLHEER
Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD — Organizers hope to have the town’s first electric car-charging station up and charging soon, according to Carol Lighthall, executive director of Springfield On The Move.
Lighthall said the charging station, which would be built in the Brattleboro Savings and Loan parking lot next to the Springfield Town Hall, could be done sometime this fall.
Lighthall gave the Springfield Energy Committee an update on the project, which is being financed largely by Green Mountain Power. The utility is working to establish electric car-charging stations in different communities in the state.
But no one on the new town-appointed committee said they knew of anyone in Springfield with an electric car to take advantage of the station, although a local car dealer was rumored to have one electric car.
Lighthall has said it would probably be a couple of years before the station was used by local people, but she said the station was a signal to people outside of Springfield that the town was forward-looking.
Lighthall said that Springfield Town Manager Robert Forguites had ordered a basic engineering study for the project. Once that report is complete, she said, work will go forward.
“Green Mountain Power is anxious to move ahead,” she said.
“It makes sense to have that level of engineering before going forward,” she added, noting that the project required a 20-year lease.
Despite the fact the Springfield branch bank of the Brattleboro Savings and Loan is charging hands, she said both banks are supportive of the establishment of the charging station. Claremont Savings Bank is taking over the Springfield branch.
“It would be good to get something in writing,” said David Yesman, committee member.
Jim Ball, another committee member, asked Lighthall whether the charging station would be in place “before snow flies.”
“I hope so,” Lighthall said.
Lighthall will also pursue a potential grant from Green Mountain Power for a solar installation to power the electric charging station. She said Green Mountain Power had said earlier in the summer that it had $17,000 available to go toward the project, but she said she didn’t know if it was still available.
The Springfield Select Board has already endorsed the project, she pointed out.
Committee Chairman John Pugh said that if the project could be run by solar with a net-metering system, it would be a bigger plus.
“It would be nice to make some money until there are more electric cars,” Ball said.
Ooooo, pinch me! I'm dreaming.....!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSeems pointless to me.
ReplyDeleteIt IS rather pointless, at this point in electric car development. They're expensive, take hours to charge, and only go, at most, about 100 miles on a charge. They may be okay for short commutes, but not much else.
ReplyDeleteElectric cars may help, in the future, to solve our dependance upon fossil fuels, but they need considerable further development (faster charging, longer-lasting batteries, as well as lowering the cost to where they are affordable for middle income consumers) before they will be practical.
Your point is irrelevant to the reason why we must install this charging station. Which of course is to help Springfield grow. Without this station downtown business could suffer as out of town shoppers driving electric cars will bypass us, taking their car straight to New Hampshire (if it is charged of course). Then without Vermont Yankee up and running the cost of that electric boast will make four dollar a gallon gasoline seem cheap. So if downtown Springfield is to grow we need to get this station installed ASAP. Doesn't mean it will be used (kind of like the litter baskets downtown) but at least we can say it's there!
DeleteThere's rumored to be one at a local dealership? Which one? I want it! I'll sit in the proposed building lot and patiently wait! I want to be the first one to be forward moving!
ReplyDeleteSo I can finally charge my car for 13.5 hours in downtown Springfield and Window Shop? Once I've Window Shopped what will I do for the remaining 13 hours?
ReplyDeleteIt takes you a full half-hour to window shop in downtown Springfield?? Boy, you must know about some stores I've missed!!
DeleteGood to have a charging station around. But the fact is, to make an electric car, much more pollution is created that when making a gas burning car. Plus, the bad news, told to the world by those who study global warming, is, we as a planet have passed the point of no return. The major ice sheets will continue to melt at an accelerated rate. So light up the grills and buy the big gas hogs. The kids will have to figure out how to avoid getting a sun burn and how to live in NYC and other places along the coast(s). These will become like that place in Italy....Oh sola me a.
ReplyDeleteIs it true that the next wasteful and useless venture that the town is planning to blow money on is a tidal wave alert system? Might come in handy someday when those ice sheets have finally melted as predicted by our local fear-mongering global warming proponents. Springfield...always looking forward to the future that never comes.
ReplyDeleteUh oh! Judging from the terrific posts above, many in Springfield are on to the grandstanding antics employed by Lighthall and her dole brothers! She never misses a chance to try and magnify some trivial accomplishment in town in hopes of grabbing what little glory may be had.
ReplyDelete