With additional funding from the provincial and federal governments, the City of Penticton will soon be able to increase the number of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations operated by the municipality.
“This is another step forward to meeting the climate action goals established in the Community Climate Action Plan,” says David Kassian, the City’s community sustainability coordinator. “This funding will allow us to increase the number of publicly available EV chargers in the community, notably with 50kW fast chargers. As demand increases, we want to ensure the capacity is in place to meet it.”
The funding, just under $250,000, will be used to install four direct-current-fast charging stations. This expansion of the vehicle charging network will also see the City contribute $90,000 from the City’s Climate Action Reserve. The Climate Action Reserve can be used to fund projects that increase sustainability and reduce energy and emissions.
These new stations are tentatively scheduled to be placed at city hall, the South Okanagan Events Centre, Skaha Lake Park and the SS Sicamous. Kassian notes the grant application was originally made in 2020 so staff will review the proposed locations to ensure the sites are still the best choice.
The City currently has two Level 2 chargers in operation in the Ellis Street parking lot, with another two scheduled to come on-line at City Hall in June.