Black Diamond is taking another step towards sustainable energy – this time targeting electric vehicles.
Town council approved $2,650 from its green fund to install two electric vehicle charging stations in its municipal building parking lot in a partnership with Sun Country Highway.
Administration will submit an application to Sun Country, a Canadian company developing a network of electrical vehicle chargers across Canada.
If approved, Black Diamond will receive signage, a standard electrical outlet and one specific for Tesla vehicles.
Stations were installed at Okotoks municipal building and emergency services building earlier this summer through Sun Country.
“There is some economic development value to having them bring people into town that would need this place as a fueling station just to carry on with their trip,” said Coun. Michel Jackson at last week’s meeting.
“Once they are here they may eat, they may walk around and buy stuff and help the business community.”
Mayor Sharlene Brown said the charging stations fits with the Town’s other green initiatives.
“We are a community that has been recognized for our work throughout the province in our sustainable initiatives via our solar panels, our renewables, work that’s been done at the arena and sustainability plan,” she told council. “We’ve been on the leading edge as a sustainable community. We get showcased all the time for the work we do around this.”
Brown said the cost of charging an electric car is about $3 an hour, a cost that will be covered by the Town and not the vehicle owner.
Coun. Judy Thomson was the lone councillor to vote against the motion, saying she doesn’t feel there are enough electric cars in the province to warrant the service.
“Realistically I just felt we weren’t ready for it, just not at this time,” she said.
Black Diamond resident Brian Marconi agrees and approached council during question and answer period last week to urge councillors to reject the idea.
“I think it’s frivolous money spent because the objectives they are going to try to accomplish with it are not going to be achieved,” he said. “When you look at the range of most of these vehicles most of them can’t make it down there. The GM Volt and Nissan LEAF are 15 miles max on a charge. They are an in-town vehicle, not a highway vehicle.”
Marconi sees electric cars as just another trend.
“We’ve gone through hydrogen cars, natural gas-powered vehicles, there is always going to be another type of fuel down the road that will be the hottest and latest and greatest,” he said. “There is enough fossil fuels around for a long time.”
James Dennis, regional director of business development for Sun Country Highway, said the project began Canada-wide less than a year ago and the final charging stations will be approved over the next few weeks. According to the company’s website, Alberta has almost 50 electrical stations.
“It was just something we did to help bring electric vehicles to communities to help bring traffic and extra revenue to locations in towns,” he said. “The goal is to make society in Canada environmentally social and economically sustainable.”
Dennis said many stations are used daily, with the station in Crossfield being the most popular in Alberta — used three to four times daily — due to its location between Calgary and Edmonton. Stations are located in stores, hotels, gas stations and municipal buildings.
Les Quinton, Black Diamond parks and recreation manager, said having electric car charging stations in town will put Black Diamond on the map through Sun Country Highway and the Alberta Motor Association.
“It’s something that we’re trying to do to help reduce our carbon footprint,” he said. “It does put us towards sustainability. We try to look ahead.”
Wouter D’Ailly, who lives east of Black Diamond, bought an electric Tesla four months ago.
He is happy with the Town’s decision and hopes the project is approved.
“I think it’s absolutely great,” he said. “I think electric cars are the wave of the future. It won’t take long and there will be line ups in front of them (the charging stations).”
D’Ailly said the benefits of having an electric car far out weight a combustible engine varieties.
“I don’t have any scheduled maintenance for eight years,” he said. “I don’t have to maintain it except for tires and breaks.”
Electric vehicles are cheap to operate, said D’Ailly, adding rather than costing him $15.40 to drive to Calgary and back it’s now $1.84 – less if he parks at a charging station.
“I charge everywhere free all the time,” he said. “When I go for lunch I plug into a charger at the Blackfoot Inn.”
To view a map of charging stations in Canada go to suncountryhighway.com
