County's 1st Electric Car-Charging Station Coming to Bloomingdale Dec. 12

Bloomingdale residents who have purchased one of the new electric cars won't have to worry about finding a place to charge it.

The , 1906 Bloomingdale Ave., Valrico, is one of 10 sites throughout the county that is getting electric charging stations as part of a pilot program.

Residents are invited to celebrate the installation of the county’s first electric car-charging station, located at the library on Monday, Dec. 12. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will begin at 9 a.m.

This electric car-charging station is the first of several to be installed at county facilities over the coming months.

The Bloomingdale charge stations will be located in front of two parking spaces near the air-conditioning units on the east side of the building.

The stations originally were scheduled to be installed at the Brandon Regional Library, however, that library, which suffers from a shortage of parking, couldn't give up two parking spaces for the electric charge stations.

Each charging station can be activated by ChargePass Card, credit card or using a smart phone. If using a smart phone, there is an application for the phone to show all charging stations in the area and if they are being used at that time.

This effort, led by Commissioner Mark Sharpe, District 7 Countywide, develops infrastructure for increased electric vehicle use by consumers seeking cleaner and cheaper energy alternatives.

“This effort supports both business and consumer needs,while moving us toward energy independence," said Sharpe.

Various local car dealerships are already bringing electric vehicles to their showroom floors, and even more have plans to bring electric vehicles into stock.

In June, the County Commission approved participation in a two-year Department of Energy grant opportunity to install ChargePoint electric car-charging stations, which are provided to the county free of charge. The county will cover the cost of installation and electric usage at the charging stations.

In addition to the Bloomingdale library, the county plans to install additional electric car-charging stations at:

• The County Center Public Parking Garage (aka Pierce Street Garage) at 319 N. Pierce St. in Tampa
• Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County, 3629 Queen Palm Dr. in Tampa
• Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, 2902 W. Bearss Ave. in Tampa
• Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library, 3910 S. Manhattan Ave. in Tampa
• The Plant City Courthouse, 301 N. Michigan Ave. in Plant City

There will be no cost to electric vehicle drivers to get a charge at Hillsborough County’s electric car-charging stations during the two-year grant period; they will only be required to pay the existing parking rate (if applicable) at the given locations. Each station will be able to charge electric vehicles from all major car makers.

At the end of the grant period, commissioners can decide if they will keep the existing units and pay for their maintenance and upkeep, and for connection to the nationwide charging station network.

The grant program is part of Coulomb Technologies’ expansion of its $37 million ChargePoint America initiative to more U.S. cities. As a result, electric car-charging stations are being installed throughout Florida and the Tampa Bay area, including at the St. Pete Times Forum, Hillsborough Community College and various locations sponsored by the city of Tampa.

The ChargePoint America program is part of a $15 million grant administered by the Department of Energy and funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the Transportation Electrification Initiative. 

“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.”

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

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