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July 19. 2012 11:12PM
Dover working on vehicle charging guidelines
DOVER — The city’s top planning official will represent the state on a regional panel to study guidelines communities could implement regarding electric vehicle charging stations at homes and along main thoroughfares.
Christopher Parker, director of planning and community development, will work with fellow officials from 10 states and the District of Columbia who serve on a regional electric vehicle stakeholder advisory group as part of the Northeast Electric Vehicle Network, which seeks to promote alternative transportation fuels in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states.
“The work with the network is a regional endeavor to look at guidelines which could be adopted by communities,” Parker said in an e-mail. “In Dover, the Planning Board determined that we should have guidelines which affect how someone might install electric vehicle chargers should they want them, but not mandate the use.”
As Dover was actively considering charging station ordinances, Parker was asked to serve on the panel by Dolores Rebolledo, grants manager with the N.H. Department of Environmental Services’s alternative fuels program.
Rebolledo said Parker and a master electrician, who works for the state, will serve on the panel, which will develop a report to help communities — from Maryland to Maine — encourage electric vehicle charging stations.
“All the states are looking at it,” Rebolledo said. “They’re all trying to be prepared.”
Rebolledo said the entire process is driven by the U.S. Department of Energy.
While urban areas might have more use for the technology, Rebolledo said, adding electric charging stations should be available throughout the state to allow residents and visitors to use electric vehicles.
As the Nissan Leaf is sold in New Hampshire, Rebolledo said its dealerships offer public charging stations. She added other electric vehicles, such as the Chevrolet Volt and Mitsubishi i-MiEV, are also available in the state.
Rebolledo said the residents interested in installing charging stations must obtain a permit from their community. She added this would apply to Level 1 charging stations, which use 110 volts and take about eight hours to recharge an electric vehicle.
Meanwhile, Rebolledo said businesses — such as the municipal garage in Portsmouth - could apply for permits for Level 2 stations, which use 240 volts to recharge in half the time. She added that Level 3 stations, which use 480 volts and could recharge vehicles in hours, are being tested in California.
After serving with the group for six months, Rebolledo said Parker will help shape guidance to help local, regional and state officials in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington, D.C.
“I will be working with others to review drafts of the model guidance documents and give feedback, which is an interesting opportunity to critique and learn from others,” Parker said in a release.
The process, which promotes increased use of clean vehicles and fuels, is supported by a $994,500 Electric Vehicle Readiness Grant awarded to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority on behalf of the Transportation and Climate Initiative.
John Quinn may be reached at jquinn@newstote.com.
Christopher Parker, director of planning and community development, will work with fellow officials from 10 states and the District of Columbia who serve on a regional electric vehicle stakeholder advisory group as part of the Northeast Electric Vehicle Network, which seeks to promote alternative transportation fuels in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states.
“The work with the network is a regional endeavor to look at guidelines which could be adopted by communities,” Parker said in an e-mail. “In Dover, the Planning Board determined that we should have guidelines which affect how someone might install electric vehicle chargers should they want them, but not mandate the use.”
As Dover was actively considering charging station ordinances, Parker was asked to serve on the panel by Dolores Rebolledo, grants manager with the N.H. Department of Environmental Services’s alternative fuels program.
Rebolledo said Parker and a master electrician, who works for the state, will serve on the panel, which will develop a report to help communities — from Maryland to Maine — encourage electric vehicle charging stations.
“All the states are looking at it,” Rebolledo said. “They’re all trying to be prepared.”
Rebolledo said the entire process is driven by the U.S. Department of Energy.
While urban areas might have more use for the technology, Rebolledo said, adding electric charging stations should be available throughout the state to allow residents and visitors to use electric vehicles.
As the Nissan Leaf is sold in New Hampshire, Rebolledo said its dealerships offer public charging stations. She added other electric vehicles, such as the Chevrolet Volt and Mitsubishi i-MiEV, are also available in the state.
Rebolledo said the residents interested in installing charging stations must obtain a permit from their community. She added this would apply to Level 1 charging stations, which use 110 volts and take about eight hours to recharge an electric vehicle.
Meanwhile, Rebolledo said businesses — such as the municipal garage in Portsmouth - could apply for permits for Level 2 stations, which use 240 volts to recharge in half the time. She added that Level 3 stations, which use 480 volts and could recharge vehicles in hours, are being tested in California.
After serving with the group for six months, Rebolledo said Parker will help shape guidance to help local, regional and state officials in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington, D.C.
“I will be working with others to review drafts of the model guidance documents and give feedback, which is an interesting opportunity to critique and learn from others,” Parker said in a release.
The process, which promotes increased use of clean vehicles and fuels, is supported by a $994,500 Electric Vehicle Readiness Grant awarded to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority on behalf of the Transportation and Climate Initiative.
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John Quinn may be reached at jquinn@newstote.com.