The Board of Selectmen last week voted in favor of a $15,500 contract with a local electrician to replace an EV charger in a municipal lot downtown with a new model that can charge motorists for its use.
New Canaan-based Santella Electric will install the new EV charger in Morse Court so that it operates the same way as the two chargers in the Town Hall Lot.
The town originally thought that Eversource, the power company, was eating the electricity bill generated from the Morse Court charger “but they weren’t,” First Selectman Dionna Carlson said during the elected body’s regular meeting, held Aug. 19 at Town Hall and via videoconference.
She added: “So ee had that disengage and then we found out that we couldn’t with the existing EV charger charge, like we do here at the [Town Hall] Annex. And so this is the request to have a charger that we can actually charge residents or whoever wants to use them to use the electricity.”
Carlson and Selectmen Steve Karl and Amy Murphy Carroll voted 3-0 in favor of the contract, presented by Joe Zagarenski, senior engineer in the Department of Public Works.
The selectmen asked how many EV chargers at currently at Morse Court (one), whether the existing charger there will be removed (yes), whether the new charger is single- or double-cord, meaning it could service two vehicles (single) and whether there’s an upcharge on the new EV charger so that the town earns revenue for maintenance (very little upcharge, essentially a pass-through cost).
It would be great to install more than one, or highlight signs to where others are located within walking distance to downtown (ie at the Vue). I charge at home in New Canaan but when traveling, especially with a Level 2 charger such as what was at Morse Court, love walking around and exploring/shopping/dining in new areas while my car is charging. Often these are at large shopping centers but it’s always a joy when there is something more unique to check out. Win/win for our shops and restaurants!
One EVSE? So short sighted.
This is great. Charging should not be a public benefit.
I should add that the town should install multiple NACS and CCS chargers, all for profit, to cover the cost of installation and usage. These should be installed at all our parking lots, especially since we have our 2nd car dealership in town: the full electric Polestar.
Really….are we that naive that the town of New Canaan thought that Eversource was going to eat the bill? What about the surcharge on our electrical bill noted as “public service charge?”
Is this the same town that built an”unsafe” teen center and is now being used as municipal offices? Oh…I’m sorry is this the same town that built the Karp condos on Park Street that can’t sell? Is this the same town who built a library that flooded before the grand opening? Is this the same town that’s going to convert Avalon to low-incoming housing? Oops!
You’re saying several untrue things here, Andrea. Caused by a mechanical problem, the library flood happened in February 2024, a full year after the new facility had opened to the public. The teen center building was found to be structurally safe. The town didn’t build The Vue, and the condos there have sold and in some cases have already been resold (the rentals also were also swiftly let by the developer). Thank you for posting your comment.