County Approves Charging Stations for Electric Cars

Electric cars are coming this fall, and county commissioners have 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 pay for their installation and electrical usage.
 
Initial proposed charge station locations as part of Hillsborough County’s effort include:

• two at the County’s Pierce Street Parking Garage, 319 N. Pierce St.
• two at the St. Pete Times Forum, 401 Channelside Drive
• one at the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County, 3629 Queen Palm Drive
• one at the Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, 2902 W. Bearss Ave.
• one at the  Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library, 3910 S. Manhattan Ave.
• one at the  Brandon Regional Library, 619 Vondenburg Drive
• one at the Town ‘N County Commons, 7606 Paula Drive
• one at  Hillsborough Community College, 4001 W. Tampa Bay Blvd. 

Commissioner Sharpe stated, “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 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 January 2014 and, 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, logon to www.mychargepoint.net.
 
To learn about all the Green Hillsborough efforts, go to www.hillsboroughcounty.org/green/.