By Eric Vo, My Record Journal
WALLINGFORD — As the Energy Conservation Commission works to secure funding, town officials and organizations have expressed an interest in installing electric charging stations in town.
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Driver charging his electric car |
The Energy Conservation Commission’s push to install the charging stations is backed by Rep. Mary Mushinsky, D-Wallingford, who said the stations will result in a greater presence of electric cars and drastically reduce emissions. The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Department of Transportation recently launched an electric vehicle charging initiative to provide charging stations, each covering a 15-minute driving radius, throughout Connecticut.
The commission has been looking for the support of individuals and organizations, including the Economic Development Commission, Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr. and the Town Council, according to Ben Martin, chairman of the Energy Conservation Commission. Martin hopes to apply for a state grant once he has the support.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, there were 67,295 electric cars in the country in 2011. There are 83 charging stations in Connecticut, including the only one in the local area, at Barberino Nissan, 505 N. Colony Road.
To increase the charging station infrastructure in the state, businesses had until Oct. 4 to submit an application to DEEP to receive a reimbursement of up to $2,000 for each new charging station installed. The agency is reviewing the applications, said Anne Gobin, the chief of the Bureau of Air Management at DEEP. However, a separate grant will eventually be made available to municipalities interested in installing the charging stations, Gobin said.
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full story by Eric Vo from My Record Journal.