A successful run for the 'Charge Up' program in Windsor-Essex.
The federal government announced $1.7-million back in January to help support the deployment and installation of electric vehicle chargers across the region as part of the program, and within the first three months of launching, all of it has been allocated.
On Monday morning, as part of EV Week in Canada, Minister of Labour Seamus O'Regan and Windsor-Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk joined local officials to announce that 144 charging stations are being installed at 35 locations throughout the region.
Essex Power Corporation Chief Operating Officer, Steve Ray, says they expected success but the timing was a pleasant surprise.
"We didn't know the uptake would necessarily be used up within a quarter, so now we're looking at telling our story," he continued. "And applying and saying this delivery organization program style that EnerCan has come up with is highly effective and allows some of the federal dollars to get to some of the smaller local communities in a very efficient manner."
(Photo Credit: Taken by AM800's Rob Hindi)
Ray says for some sites shovels have already started to hit the dirt.
"This summer I would say probably three quarters of the charging stations will go in and then some will naturally trail off into the fall. And those that don't get done we do have a waiting list, so those who still want to apply the application process is very simple. We hold the applicants hands right through it and get them put on a waiting list."
He says the more success stories they're able to tell locally, the more funding will be provided.
"Our goal is to prove that we can efficiently use incentive dollars from the Natural Resources Canada agency and deliver results. The proof will be in the pudding and I'm sure that our success story will breed more funding," Ray said.
Essex Powerlines has been leading the 'Charge Up' program, which accepts applications from qualified recipients looking to install charging infrastructure in public places, on-street, in multi-unit residential building, at workplaces or for light-duty vehicle fleets.
The Town of Tecumseh is one of 23 applicants moving forward with installing EV Charging Stations, and some planned locations include:
- OPP Station (Tecumseh Town Hall) | 963 Lesperance Rd.
- McAuliffe Park | 2391 St.Alphonse St.
- Lakewood Park | 13451 Riverside Dr.
- St.Mary’s Park | 12020 County Rd 34
The planned chargers will include 112 Level 2 Chargers and 32 Fast Chargers (50kw+).
All planned EV chargers will be up and running by March 2024.
- with files from AM800's Rob Hindi