Richard Froese
South Peace News
Town of Falher council is plugging into a grant program to install an electric vehicle charging station for public use at no cost to council.
At its regular meeting March 7, council approved a recommendation to apply for a grant from the Electric Vehicle Charging Program of the Municipal Climate Action Centre in Alberta, funded equally from the provincial and federal governments.
“It’s a 100 per cent grant,” CAO James Bell said.
Council members agreed the grant is a good opportunity to support and respond to a growing demand in the future.
“I think we should apply for this grant,” Councillor Robert Lauze said.
Councillor Daniel Morin added a charging station will help support the demand in the future.
“We’re just going to get more and more people with electric vehicles,” Morin said.
Mayor Donna Bu- chin ski agreed.
“It’s coming.”
She adds the town will apply for funding to install a station with a Level 2 fast charger.
“It’s more of a tourist draw,” Buchinski said.
“It will put us on the map.”
Council proposed to install a two-portal charging station in the Town of Falher office parking lot.
Preliminary figures show the equipment costs more than $15,000, Bell told council.
Costs do not include electrical work to connect the unit, he noted.
Approval and allocation of funds is on a first-come-first-served basis.
The grant is available only for municipalities to locate a charging station on land owned by the municipality.
Up to 100 per cent of the costs to buy and install a charging station can be rebated as the MCCAC is offering $3.4 million in rebates.
Each municipality is eligible for a maximum of $200,000.
Bell said if approved for a grant, Falher would be one of a few communities in the Peace region with an electric vehicle charging station.
The neighbouring M.D. of Smoky River council decided to apply for the grant for a Level 2 station at its regular meeting Feb. 9.
Big Lakes County council decided at its regular meeting March 9 to apply for the grant and proposes to install a Level 2 charging station in Kinuso, about 140 km east of Falher.
However, the Town of High Prairie council decided against the grant at its regular meeting Feb. 22.