M'burgh Village May Apply for Grant for EV Charging Station

By David Avitabile

MIDDLEBURGH - Middleburgh Village officials may decide next month to apply for a New York State Department Department of Environmental Conservation grant for electric vehicle charging stations in the village.

The grant application is due on February 27. There would be a 10 percent local match. The proposal was discussed by the village grants committee in November and January and has been discussed by the village board. The maximum grant amount is capped at $125,000.

The Village is in the process of securing quotes for this project, which will determine how much it seeks as part of any grant application if officials choose to move forward.

If approved, the EV recharging station will probably be placed by the Depot at the corner of Wells and Maple avenues. Officials said the location is close enough for motorists to walk downtown to shop or eat while their vehicle is charging. Other areas were considered but some had to be dismissed because they were in the floodplain.

In December, Village attorney Fred Mauhs noted that when drivers of EV vehicles get off the Thruway onto Route 145 in Catskill, it is "a desert" for charging stations.

The state is providing $5 million for charging stations. The stations would be level 3 providing quicker charges. It would cost the village about $800 a year for electricity and other requirements. The village would have to maintain the stations for at least 10 years.

Board members were in favor of applying for the grant.

The stations would be one more thing the village has that other villages do not, Trustee Bob Tinker said in December. He felt stations would probably be used a lot. There are already surveillance cameras at the Depot.

In January, DPW superintendent Cole Keyser questioned the location of the charging station by the depot.

He said it was less likely for people to walk to the business district of the village if they were placed there. He thought a location behind Stewart's would be preferable but it was noted that some of the area is in the flood plain.