The District of Kitimat will be engaging with an expert consultant to provide technical and cost analysis for an electric vehicle charging station in the City Centre Parking lot.
A motion to that effect passed council’s table Nov. 5, on the heels of the District receiving a grant to study the feasibility of installing such a charging station in town.
A grant was also provided to the City of Terrace.
The province’s Plug In BC program will also help fund the installation of these stations to up to 75 per cent of the cost.
“This is an opportunity for Kitimat to become part of a regional network of charging stations at a low cost,” said council’s report from administration.
The report also points out that the City of Terrace has considered installation of a charging station at their city hall and Skeena Mall. A third possibility as well is the airport.
Mario Feldhoff said that while they’re not committing any tax dollars to this purpose yet, at some point it would be helpful to include this program with the District’s overall plan for being carbon neutral.
Installing charging infrastructure in town is supported by Kitimat’s Official Community Plan, both through pursuing positive relationships with other local governments within the regional district and engaging with other communities in the north which have signed the BC Climate Action Charter to learn best practices in achieving carbon neutrality.
Administration said that funding to opt-in for actually installing charging stations will be requested in the 2013 supplemental budget.