Helena to add electric vehicle charging stations with $33,000 grant
Posted at 11:46 am on Wednesday, November 16, 2022
- The City of Helena received a $33,740 grant from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs to add two electric vehicle charging stations at the Helena Sports Complex. (Case)
By MEG HERNDON | Personal editor
HELEN – The City of Helena recently received a $33,740 grant to install a two-bay charging station at the Helena Sports Complex.
The grant came from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, which has awarded more than $2.45 million in grants for charging stations across the state.
“I was extremely excited to receive this grant which gives our residents and visitors the ability to charge their vehicle while taking advantage of all of the Sports Complex’s offerings,” said Helena Mayor Brian Puckett. “I continually write various grant applications on behalf of the city. I believe it is one of my responsibilities as a leader in Helena to seek out all opportunities from various funding sources for projects to benefit our great city.
Puckett said charging station infrastructure is critical in Helena because the city is ranked second only to Hoover with the most registered electric vehicle owners in the county.
“Currently the closest public charging station is Walmart in Alabaster,” Puckett said. “But other than that, you have to go to Leeds, or you have to go to downtown Birmingham or Tuscaloosa.”
The $33,740 grant will allow the City to build two level two charging stations. Puckett explained that the level involves the speed at which one can charge their car at the station. Level one is residential lower speed, level two can charge a car in one to two hours.
Puckett said that with the chargers being at the sports complex, parents will have the opportunity to charge their cars while their children are playing a game. Eventually, with the Buck Creek Trail Extension that is underway, people at the complex will also have the ability to walk to the old town and enjoy the area while charging their car.
“The proposed site for the location of the Helena Sports Complex is just off State Highway 261, a major motoring route that begins in Helena and ends at Highway 280,” Puckett wrote in the grant proposal. . “The Helena Sports Complex hosts more than 1,000 Helena athletes each season as well as opposing teams from the Shelby and Jefferson County areas.”
At the time of application, Puckett has submitted four grant applications for four different locations. The other three submitted locations that were not assigned were Lee Springs Park, Cahaba Lily Park, and Helena City Hall.
“I am thrilled and grateful to ADECA and the Governor for selecting our city for this grant,” Puckett said. “It shows that the city of Helena sets the standard for others.”
The mayor said the city also plans to add more charging stations over the next few years. Recently, the city council passed a zoning ordinance that requires developers of special mixed-use developments to install a charging station based on the population of parking spaces for that development. Once installed, developers must hand it over to the city for maintenance and operation.
“Charging stations are something that will happen more and more over the next few years,” Puckett said.
