BEACON FALLS — The town’s new electric vehicle charging station has arrived, but it’ll be a little longer before it’s up and running.
First Selectman Christopher Bielik said a company has been contracted for the installation but there are preliminary steps that need to be accomplished by Connecticut Light & Power, which the installation company is coordinating.
Previously, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection required the town to have the station installed by Nov. 14. Bielik said that deadline has been extended to Dec. 12.
The DEEP awarded the town an $8,400 grant to purchase and install the station, which will be located in the commuter parking lot near the train. Bielik said the charging station will cost $1,900 and the rest of the grant money will cover the installation.
The town will need to provide the charging station’s services to the public for free for the first three years of its existence and must also foot the electricity bill.
For Beacon Falls, that usage cost could be anywhere between $50 and $150, which Bielik said was an unplanned expense in this year’s budget. He said he doesn’t anticipate financial issues, though.
“It’s almost certainly a cost we can reasonably bear out of our contingency,” Bielik said.
The charging stations closest to Beacon Falls are near Middlebury and Southington, according to the DEEP website.
