By Margaret MacDonald
Stewart’s Shops is looking to install 100 charging stations for electric automobiles throughout the greater Capital Region, pending approvals.
The move coincides with state efforts to expand services in that direction.
State Sen. Jim Tedisco recently called for the state to approve the new Electric Vehicle Fast Charger Network (EVFCN).
Tedisco, a member of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, wrote a letter to the state Public Service commissioner in support of the EVFCN and the Stewart’s plan to install charging stations at shops in his 49th Senate District.
“The plan would be to install an electric car fast-charging network, providing an 80 percent charge in roughly 20 minutes,” Stewart’s spokesperson Maria D’Amelia said.
It would be done in a gradual rollout.
Around 18-20 stations would be slated in the first year, she said. The electricity for the stations would be supplied by remote net metering from the Mechanicville hydroelectric station.
“With the industry evolving and advancements in technology, we feel this project makes sense from both an environmental and community standpoint,” she said.
“Stewart’s Shops is committed to making our communities greener when the opportunities come along. Over the past several years we have incorporated solar energy into our business. From the solar roof-mounted system at our manufacturing plant to our remote-net metering system in Halfmoon, we are helping to offset not only our own usage, but to also assist the utilities in alleviating constraints on the grid.”
Discussion for the project began a year and a half ago, but is still in the preliminary stages, awaiting approval from the Public Service Commission. Following that, the company would need to get approvals at the local level for installation. A timeline has yet to be determined.