The Burns Lake village council has set in motion a plan to eventually install two powerful Level 3 electric vehicle (EV) chargers in the area.
At its April 23 meeting, the council agreed to enter into a non-binding Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with BC Hydro before May 1 that would lead to the installation of the two chargers, at no cost to the village.
The move by council follows a similar one in mid-April by the District of Houston, which pledged to back a plan by BC Hydro to install one Level 3 station there. The utility provider plans to install 10 Level 3 stations along Highway 16.
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The Level 3 set-up in Burns Lake would be one charge station with two charging heads, said Chief Administrative Officer Sheryl Worthing.
Council discussed the possible location of the new Level 3 station, and deputy corporate officer Val Anderson said it might be a good idea to place it in the rest area across from the Lakeview Mall.
The village would be responsible for providing land for the station, maintaining the site, communicating with BC Hydro on the condition of the station, and buying and installing wayfinding signage. It must also be willing to sign a 10-year lease deal with BC Hydro. The station site has to be accessible 24/7.
The project could start to move by July when the funding is expected to be announced, followed by the signing of a lease agreement by the end of the summer, and installation taking place in the spring of 2020.
Level 3 chargers, or Direct Current Fast Chargers can replenish EV batteries in 20 minutes to one hour, in comparison to Level 2 chargers which can take from three to eight hours, according to the ChargeHub informational website.
But Level 3s aren’t cheap, and the two-head Level 3 stations would cost $200,000, with $50,000 coming from BC Hydro and the remainder from federal grants. Level 2s cost $10,000.
Hybrid vehicles can be charged with Level 2s but some hybrids aren’t compatible with Level 3s.
The village has already agreed to contribute up to $5,000 for a Community Energy Association (CEA) grant for a new Level 2 charger that would replace the current charge station, which was installed in 2013 and is rarely used. Its technology is obsolete and it has received poor reviews on electric vehicle websites. It isn’t yet known when the new Level 2 charger might arrive.
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The hoped-for arrival of the new charger is part of the CEA’s Charge North bid to help install 50 Level 2 charge stations in 28 communities, which is expected to cost $1,027,000 and depends on the organization receiving 73 per cent of the total funding from the province.
The CEA regards the spread of Level 2 and 3 chargers in the region as complementary and Janice Keyes, senior manager of community energy engagement with the association, applauded the MOU in Burns Lake.
“Both Level 2 and Level 3 stations are needed to create a robust EV station network that meets the needs of EV drivers, supports EV tourism and drives local economic development,” she told Lakes District News. “Level 3 stations are key to getting EV drivers into a region and the Level 2 stations can direct how and where visitors spend their time and money while in a community.”
BC Hydro has already installed 58 Level 3s across the province with the help of federal grants and is applying for more federal grants to finance its Highway 16 plans.
Charge North comprises six regional districts – including Bulkley-Nechako – and their communities and seeks the installation of 120 Level 2 chargers from Kamloops and into the north.
– With files from Rod Link
Blair McBrideMultimedia reporter
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