BRUNSWICK COUNTY — The North Carolina governor announced almost $6 million would go to six businesses in the state to install electric vehicle charging stations.
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The Clairmont Shopping Center in Leland — with the anchor grocery store Piggly Wiggly — is included. Almost $1 million was applied for by Francis Energy Charging LLC via the state’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program (NEVI) funds. There is $109 million to invest statewide in the next seven years.
Wednesday, Governor Roy Cooper announced the first round of conditional awards for developers to install and operate the stations. N.C. Department of Transportation awarded contracts totaling $5.92 million for nine locations along interstates and major highways, including I-40, I-77 and I-485, and U.S. 17, U.S. 74, U.S. 70 and U.S. 64.
The first round is nine of 50 planned along the alternative fuel corridors as required by the NEVI program.
“By expanding the EV charging network, all North Carolinians will be able to choose transportation options that are more efficient, more affordable and better for our environment,” Cooper said in a release.
Awards are conditional because the awarded businesses have to meet certain requirements outlined in the National Environmental Policy Act, the requests for proposal and the contract.
“Eventually, we’ll have publicly-funded EV chargers that fill in coverage gaps along our major corridors in the state and in our communities,” Joey Hopkins, NCDOT secretary, said in the release. “We want a network that is reliable and easily accessible for people in rural and urban areas.”
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