Medina gearing up for fast-charging stations at Canal Basin

MEDINA – The village expects to nail down the details to move along a project that would add four fast electric charging stations to the Canal Basin.

The village was approved in April 2023 for $245,184 in state funding for two direct-current fast charger pedestals. Each pedestal has two chargers. The project, however, totalled $317,850.

National Grid agreed to pay the costs over the state grant of about $73,000. However, the village hasn’t received those funds yet from National Grid.

The village’s consultant for the project would like Medina to get the chargers in soon. However, village officials are also concerned that medina has to front the money for the state grant and then wait to get reimbursed. Medina would have to do short-term financing at what is expected to be about $10,000 in interest while it waits to get the state money.

The Village Board sees the fast charging stations as a draw for visitors with electric vehicles. The users will have to pay to use the electric chargers, at a fee to be determined.

Mayor Marguerite Sherman said she will reach out to the Village of Sherman in Chautauqua County which recently put in chargers to see how that community handled the short-term financing and also determined its fee for using the chargers.

“We are moving forward with this,” Sherman said about the chargers.

One resident, Jim Sipple, told the board he thinks the electric chargers would be better left to private businesses. Burger King has units in Medina that aren’t fast chargers.