BY PAUL MITCHELL
North Country This Week

CANTON – Two electric vehicle chargers may soon join two current EV chargers in the municipal parking lot on Hodskin Street - but at a cost to users.

Trustee Klaus Proemm informed village board members Wednesday night (Feb. 16) that the New York Power Authority (NYPA) is interested in installing two rapid-charge units in Canton.

“It would be virtually free and could be added to the Hodskin Street site,” Proemm said. “These units are two to four time faster.”

He noted that a credit card would be needed to utilize the NYPA-owned chargers and that NYPA would essentially pay the village’s electric bill through reimbursement from credit card sales.

Proemm’s information prompted discussion on whether or not to begin charging people to use the village’s two EV chargers. Currently, it is free to use both chargers.

“We need to start billing customers. It has come to a time when it’s not free,” said Mayor Michael Dalton.

Another option was to have customers pay to use the rapid charger and keep the slower charger a free service.

There was also talk about relocating one of the existing EV chargers to possibly the Canton Pavilion, at the nearby vacant lot on the corner of Riverside Drive, and Chapel Street (formerly Bell’s service station) or near the Canton Municipal Building.

Proemm said National Grid would handle any relocation at practically no cost to the village. He said the members of the Infrastructure Committee will explore the options and its next committee meeting, and Proemm will continue to work with NYPA.

It was also noted that permits have been filed in the village code enforcement office for EV charger stations at both North Country Savings Bank and the United Helpers Behavioral Health Clinic adjacent to the University Plaza. Work at these two sites has not begun.