Hillsborough County Commissioners Unanimously Approve Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Charging stations for electric vehicles will soon be installed in Hillsborough County, according to a story in the St. Petersburg Times.

One station will be in Carrollwood at the Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, 2902 W. Bearss Avenue.

Here's some information from a news release by officials at Hillsborough County:

Electric cars are coming this fall and County Commissioners today approved a pilot project to sponsor 10 electric vehicle charging stations for October. This effort, led by Commissioner Mark Sharpe, District 7 Countywide, marks the start of developing the infrastructure for the anticipated increase in electric vehicle use by consumers seeking cleaner and cheaper energy alternatives.  The ChargePoint charging stations themselves are free, as well as maintenance during this pilot project. Hillsborough County will only pay for their installation and electrical usage.

Initial proposed charge station locations as part of Hillsborough County’s effort include:

2 - County’s Pierce Street Parking Garage, 319 N. Pierce St.

2 - St. Pete Times Forum, 401 Channelside Drive

1 - Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County, 3629 Queen Palm Drive

1 - Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, 2902 W. Bearss Ave.

1 - Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library, 3910 S. Manhattan Ave.

1 - Brandon Regional Library, 619 Vondenburg Road

1 - Town ‘N County Commons, 7606 Paula Drive

1 - Hillsborough Community College, 4001 W. Tampa Bay Blvd.

Commissioner Sharpe said, “It's important to note that for every charging station that's installed, there's a creation of three jobs.”

Each charging station will be connected to a network allowing drivers to locate stations, availability and cost by going online or through a smart phone. The cost for parking at a charging station has yet to be determined. Each station will be able to charge electric vehicles from all major car makers.

“Cleaner energy produced right here in America will, over time, help make us less dependent on foreign oil,” said Commissioner Sharpe. “The way we drive and how we get our energy is going to change as well, and we’ve got to be on the cutting edge.”

The pilot will end in Jan. 2014. At that time, Commissioners can decide if they will keep the existing units and pay for their maintenance and upkeep, and connection to the charging station network.

To see where all the charge stations are across the country, log on to www.mychargepoint.net.

To learn about all the Green Hillsborough efforts, go to www.hillsboroughcounty.org/green/.