The other stations will be built by the middle of next year, and won’t be free, officials say. The first station went up in Homer in September, at AJ’s OldTown Steakhouse and Tavern. The idea is that with nine stations each separated by less than 100 miles, drivers will be able to travel from the Kenai Peninsula to Fairbanks without fear of losing power, energy authority officials say. “And if we can play a role in encouraging it, providing a safety margin as far as charging goes, that’s what we want to do.” “It’s the wave of the future, in a sense,” said Curtis Thayer, head of the Alaska Energy Authority. Many believe the growth will continue as automakers increasingly shift their production focus to electric cars. The number of electric vehicles in Alaska has grown rapidly in recent years. The chargers will help Alaska better support electric vehicles, which aren’t widely used in the state because of concerns over factors like cold weather performance, observers say.Įlectric car drivers say the vehicles lose some power in cold, but remain much cheaper to operate than conventional cars and have other benefits, such as reducing emissions. Private businesses such as Three Bears Alaska will host the charging stations and contribute $500,000. The energy authority is spending $1 million from the Volkswagen emissions scandal settlement to pay for the charging corridor. The trip takes a day for cars with internal combustion engines, but is usually not an option for electric car drivers due to the lack of charging stations. The Alaska Energy Authority, a state agency, is building out the network, from Homer and Seward on the Kenai Peninsula to Healy, south of Fairbanks. (Loren Holmes / ADN)īy summer, the heart of Alaska’s road system will feature a string of fast-charging stations for electric vehicles, part of an effort to prepare the state’s highways for an increasingly electrified future. Chugach installed the free electric vehicle charging station as a test project. Updated: NovemPublished: November 20, 2021Ī Chevy Bolt electric car charges at the Chugach Electric headquarters on Friday, Nov.
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