By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

                Duke Energy has offered to install an electric vehicle charging station in Chiefland at no charge – no pun intended – but the city commission wants more information before allowing this relatively new technology to operate locally.

            While none of the commissioners voiced an objection to getting a free EV charger from the company, the future location of the charging station was a point of contention.

            Police Chief Scott Anderson objected to Duke Energy’s proposed location for the EV charger at the Chiefland Area Chamber of Commerce Trailhead Park in south Chiefland.

            “I would like a different location other than that,” Anderson said.

            “Why?” responded City Manager Mary Ellzey.

            “Because, I think I will get a lot of complaints, that’s why,” Anderson said.

            “Complaints about what?” Ellzey said.

            “Like a prostitute in the bathroom or they’re scared and they want police down there,” Anderson said. “You’re talking about people passing through Chiefland. You’re not talking about Chiefland citizens.”

            “It’s not going to be by the bathrooms. It’s going to be in the parking lot,” Ellzey replied. “I would think it would be away from the chamber building itself – on the north end of the parking lot.”

            Anderson was asked where he thinks the charging station should be located if not at Trailhead Park.

            “I don’t know – somewhere on the north end of town close to a store where they can go to a store. What are they going to see here if it takes 30 minutes to charge?” Anderson said.

            “They could walk the Nature Coast State Trail,” Ellzey responded. “They could go to Fred and Vicki’s (used furniture store) or they could go to the antique place.”

            Ellzey said she will gather more information and bring it back to the commission for a final decision.

            Dorothy Pernu, a Duke Energy government, and community relations manager, reached out to Ellzey by email Monday to explore the idea of installing an electric vehicle charging station at the Trailhead Park. The southern terminus of Nature Coast State Trail is Trailhead Park – which is also the site of the Chamber of Commerce building and a small museum inside the building.

            “If the city opts to proceed, this installation would be part of Duke Energy’s Park & Plug program, Chiefland is an appealing general area because of its location on U.S. 19/98 because there are few charging stations along the highway,” said Allison Barker representing Duke Energy Corporate Communications.  “A 20-minute charging stop at a fast charger can provide enough charge to travel up to 125 miles, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. And during the charging time, visitors can visit and spend money in local stores and eat in local restaurants.”

            Duke Energy launched its Park & Plug program in 2018 to expand access to electric vehicle charging stations. The company pledged to install 530 across its service territory in Florida. Duke Energy serves 1.8 million customers in 35 counties. By 2020, Duke Energy had installed, with assistance from contract partner NovaCharge, about 555 EV charging stations.

            “Many of the chargers have been installed along or near the popular U.S. 19/98 corridor linking St. Petersburg to Apalachicola and Tallahassee. This area had little EV infrastructure when the project started,” Barker said.

Charging stations installed as of December 2020 include:

• 165 public level 2 chargers at local businesses
• 40 DC Fast Chargers in public locations
• Nearly 200 level 2 chargers in multi-unit dwellings
• And about 150 level 2 chargers in workplaces

            “Electric vehicle use is steadily increasing, but more investment is needed to grow the adoption of this evolving technology and the benefits it brings in Florida,” Barker said.

            Customers across the state will enjoy significant fuel cost savings when EV chargers are efficiently deployed to become part of the EV charging infrastructure, she said.

            “Through our EV programs, Duke Energy continues to promote a cleaner environment and provide opportunities for communities to electrify transportation,” she added.

            One Levy County gas station owner pointed a potential unintended consequence of switching to electric vehicles. He noted that state, federal, and local highways are constructed and maintained using gas taxes from the sale of fossil fuels. As electric vehicles come into more common use, gas taxes will gradually dwindle for road maintenance and construction.

—————

City of Chiefland Regular Meeting February 8, 2021; Posted February 13, 2021