Marla Jones, Managing Editor
marla@southerntorch.com
FORT PAYNE, Ala — Fort Payne, in partnership with Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA), held a dedication for the EV Fast Chargers.
The charging stations are located at Fifth Street North and Gault Avenue.
In the February 16 Fort Payne City Council meeting, Mike Shirey, Manager of the Fort Payne Improvement Authority (FPIA), addressed the Council regarding the installation of electric charging stations for vehicles in the City. Grant money was available through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) to implement these chargers.
Guidelines to receive the grant were that drivers would have 24/7 access, in a lit area with restrooms available and within walking to restaurants. ADECA required two spaces available for charging with excepted expansion for more spaces.
The specifics of the ADECA would be to have chargers in 50-mile increments across the State of Alabama. Interstate 59 falls into the Tier II plan with a charging station being within a five-mile radius of exits of 218 and 222. The vacant lot at the corner of 5th Street and Gault was discussed as a place to house the chargers. The placement at this location will increase traffic to the downtown area of Fort Payne.
The projected costs of these two stations were estimated to be at a cost of $122,000 which included installation, transformers, and electrician support. Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) donated the two chargers with FPIA doing the labor. The City of Fort Payne supplied the improvements to the lot. The chargers have a 5-year warranty which is to renew at an approximate price of $25,000-30,000.
Fees for the charging station are .31 per minute and take between ten minutes to 1 hour to complete the charge. The stations work on all-electric cars with the exception of Telsa. Tesla requires a super-charging station, with most having adapters to work with other charging stations. Councilmember Lynn Brewer requested that a portion of fees to charge the vehicles be set aside to renew the warranty, which was agreed upon.
“This is going to be great for the downtown area,” stated Fort Payne Mayor Brian Baine.
