The City of Delta will be installing new electric vehicle charging stations.
The city on Thursday announced it will receive $77,250 in funding from Natural Resources Canada’s Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program to install 20 charging stations at public facilities across Delta.
The funding, equaling close to 50 percent of total project costs, will help build a community-wide expansion of electric vehicle charging stations, which are planned to be open to the public in 2021, according to a news release.
It’s an important step along the Government of Canada’s path to being net-zero by 2050, said Seamus O’Regan, Minister of Natural Resources.
Delta MP Carla Qualtrough said the investment will allow electric vehicles to become more feasible in the community as charging stations will be more readily available.
Delta Mayor George Harvie noted city council recently endorsed an electric vehicle strategy to recognize the importance of electric vehicles in reducing Delta’s carbon footprint.
A report to council this year notes Delta's Community Energy and Emissions Plan states that one important way to achieve the city's greenhouse gas emission reduction targets is by increasing the availability of electric vehicle charging in the city, which promotes the purchase and use of electric vehicles.
Delta has taken a number of first steps including installation of the city's first publicly-owned charging stations at recreation facilities in 2019 and zoning bylaw regulations requiring a percentage of parking stalls in residential buildings to support electric vehicle charging, the report notes, adding the strategy provides an action plan to further promote the uptake of electric vehicles.
“I’m excited to see how this project will benefit our community of Delta and our environment,” said Delta MP Carla Qualtrough.
The strategy includes requiring up to 100 per cent of parking stalls in new multi-family buildings to provide an energized electrical outlet capable of providing Level 2 or higher electric vehicle charging, requiring one energized electrical outlet capable of providing Level 2 electric vehicle charging in all new single-family homes and require up to 100 per cent of staff parking stalls at new commercial and industrial buildings to provide an energized electrical outlet capable of providing Level 2 or higher charging.
The strategy also includes, among other things, exploring opportunities for incentives or rebates at the municipal level to retrofit existing buildings, provide outlets in bike storage areas for electric bicycle charging, conduct a gap analysis to determine high priority locations for more public charging station infrastructure and installing stations at those locations, as well as installing charging stations for electric fleet vehicles at city hall and both works yards as more vehicles are purchased.
The report adds that prior to bringing forward any specific bylaw amendments relating to the action items proposed in the strategy, staff will undertake detailed analysis to ensure a proposed course of action is economically feasible and incorporates sufficient leeway to accommodate special circumstances that may arise.
