Albion village asked to pursue charging stations for electric cars
ALBION – Charging stations for electric cars in the downtown business district could draw visitors to Albion, project an image of a progressive community, and also would be good for the environment, the Albion Village Board was told on Wednesday.
Representatives from the Albion Betterment Community said they want to put a dual-port charging station at the village-owned parking lot just north of the Presbyterian Church on Main Street.
The station would be mounted on a pedestal and could charge two vehicles at a time.
The state is offering incentives up to $4,000 per port or $8,000 for a dual station. That should be enough for the full cost of acquiring the station, Betterment Committee co-directors Joe Gehl and Gary Derwick told the Village Board.
The Albion Betterment is willing to front the money and wait for the reimbursement through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
Gehl and Derwick asked the Village Board for assistance in installing the station, with the DPW putting in a concrete pad for the station and the village then assuming the ongoing electric bills.
The ABC met with Brockport village officials recently, where there are four charging stations that result in a $140 monthly bill, Gehl said.
The stations help local merchants because electric car owners will visit businesses and local sites while their cars are being charged.
“Business owners are looking for help on bringing people in,” Derwick told the board. “While they are getting their cars charged, they are looking for things to do.”
The Betterment Committee also urged the Albion Village Board to pursue a second charging station through the NYSERDA program. That would result in four stations total in the downtown, with two ports on each site.
That village station could be near the canal or another location to be determined.
The state has $5 million in incentives through NYSERDA for the stations and about half the money remains available, Gehl said.
Mayor Eileen Banker said she wanted to check with Brockport officials first about the ongoing cost of the electric stations and if they have been an asset to the business district.
Banker and other village trustees were open to the electric stations. Banker said it might be better to do one first at the village-owned lot by the church and then pursue a second dual-port station.
Trustee Stan Farone said it might be better to pursue two locations while the state is offering the incentives. He said electric cars are an emerging technology that isn’t going away.
Banker said she would check with the village’s grant writer, Jean O’Connell and Associates, about preparing an application.
“If the money is available through NYSERDA, why not go for it?” she said.
Two village trustees, Stan Farone and Gary Katsanis, will work with the Betterment Committee to work on the issue.
