Connecting & Activating Vermont Communities

Peacham’s First Public EV Charger Opens at the Peacham Library

PRESS RELEASE:

Peacham’s First Public EV Charger Opens at the Peacham Library

Contact: Cathy Browne, President, Peacham Library Board of Trustees, 802.592.3210, [email protected]

Peacham’s newly installed public electric vehicle (EV) charging station located at the Peacham Library is ready for action! This Level 2 EV charger offers two charging ports and is available to everyone, for a suggested donation. Total project cost (including equipment, installation, and signage) came in under $1,000 – after the electric utility’s $750 incentive per port. This project was made possible thanks to the leadership of Peacham Library Board of Trustees and generous financial support from local organizations including the Town Energy Committee, Peacham Congregational Church, Peacham Community Housing, Fall Fondo and Winter Carnival.

Peacham Library was a natural fit for the town’s first public EV charger. Its modern electrical system, with sufficient capacity and a short cable run, allowed for a relatively simple and inexpensive installation. The EV charging station helps advance the Library’s mission to support and enrich the Peacham community by providing a wide range of library resources and serving as a hub for activities. Situated in the heart of the Village, the new EV charger is also well aligned with Peacham’s Town Plan which states, “The Town should embrace the future by encouraging public charging infrastructure in places visitors and residents are likely to stop and congregate.” With so few EV chargers in the immediate area, allowing drivers to add about 25 miles of range per hour of charging could help alleviate range anxiety and encourage more visits to Peacham with fewer fossil fuel emissions.

Jake Thomas, Library Boardmember and project manager for the EV charger commented on the process, “The Peacham Energy Committee had been pursuing the idea of an EV charger in Peacham. After learning of GMP’s rebate program I knew that this should be possible. I got some great information from Jim Wolynetz in Cabot who spearheaded their public EV charger that went live last year. We saw this project as doing our part toward building a future where chargers are readily available, and providing inexpensive and clean energy for our transportation needs.”

“We hope this first charger at the Library will serve as a model for future charging stations in Peacham, as well as inspiration for more towns in the NEK,” says Allie Webster with Northeastern Vermont Development Association (NVDA), which offers energy planning support to towns across the region. With Vermonters spending nearly half of their energy budget on transportation petroleum and the leading cause of climate pollution in the state being vehicle emissions, this is one contribution a small town can make to build out a comprehensive network of charging stations needed throughout Vermont.