New Electric Car Charging Station Installed in Town
NEWINGTON - A new charging station for electric automobiles has arrived in Newington.

       Economic Development Director Andy Brecher announced the installation of the electric car charging station, located in the Constitution Square municipal parking lot, in a press release put out last Thursday. The station is being funded by a $10,000 state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) grant.

       Electric car owners can utilize the station--open around the clock all year long--for free, but have been urged by public officials to avoid taking up the designated charging spot for more than the time required to ready their vehicle.

       Electric automobiles typically take between one and four hours to recharge, according to Brecher’s press release.

       Proponents of the initiative see it as a potential economic benefit as well, as part of the aim is to drive foot traffic to local businesses at the center of town.

       The Town Council voted in April to apply for the DEEP grant--an amount to not exceed $10,000--which would cover the cost of installing two electric charging stations. The grant application requires that the stations be installed close to a â€"major traffic generator” such as Town Hall or a downtown area.

       Yearly maintenance costs are slated to be less than $2,000 a year, according to Brecher.

       This April’s move to apply for the grant was not the first time the issue came to the Council. Going after the grant was entertained last August, but there were some concerns as to how the stations would be regulated.

       Newington already has a couple of electric car charging stations that are not town-run. One is in Best Market and the other is at Newington Electric.

       The grant program is part of a DEEP initiative to add over 3 million electric vehicles to the roads over the course of the next 10 years.
MORE NEWINGTON NEWS  |  STORY BY MARK DIPAOLA  |  Aug 19 2015  |  COMMENTS?