Biddeford to install electric car charging station on Water Street

The city of Biddeford has approved an electric car charging station to be installed on Water Street by Mechanic’s Park.

The city currently has electric car charging stations at 205 Main St., next to City Hall and 371 Hill St. at the public works department.

On Tuesday, the City Council approved the installation of a dual port charging station on Water Street by All Pro Electric of Haverhill Massachusetts, and the development of an electric vehicle charger siting plan to guide future expansion of this infrastructure. The charging station and the study will be funded by a $75,800 Energy Efficiency Block Grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

The city owned property on Water Street was chosen as a location for a new charger because of its proximity to 3-phase electric power and low-to-moderate income households, which would increase access to electric vehicle charging infrastructure, said Economic Development Coordinator Brad Favreau.

The Council opted to approve to use the block grant money for the Water Street charging station and a study instead of using the money to fund two charging stations.

Included in the Council packet was an electric vehicle charging infrastructure plan for Culver City, California. Favreau said a similar plan for Biddeford would outline where the best locations in the city are for charging stations and recommend the best type of equipment in designated locations. He said the study would give “big dividends down the road,” saving city staff time and making the city more attractive when applying for grants for more charging stations.

Councilor Marc Lessard said he originally did not support spending money on the study, but he was now in favor of it. He said he learned after doing some research that having such a plan would make the city much more likely to receive federal funding.

Councilor Norman Belanger said he wasn’t convinced the study would increase the city’s chance of getting funding, as it “would not stand the test of time,” and become obsolete as the technology behind electric vehicles changes.