Fox Cities have more than 20 public charging stations for electric vehicles, and the number is rising
Duke Behnke
Reader question: Are there any public electric vehicle charging stations in the Valley? If I were to use one, who pays for the electricity used to charge my vehicle?
Answer: I reached out to EnTech Solutions, which is a division of Faith Technologies Inc., for help, as I drive a gasoline-powered car.
Mike Collom, director of strategic accounts for EnTech Solutions, said there are more than 20 public charging stations in the Fox Cities, and the number is sure to rise as more electric vehicles — or EVs — hit the road.
The charging stations are located at hotels, car dealerships, grocery stores and other businesses. Some are reserved for customers and employees. Others are available to anyone.
Collom said some public charging stations have a fairly nominal fee to charge your vehicle: 10 cents a minute for up to an hour of charge time, for example.
"When a business hosts a charging station, they often offer it free as a service to customers or guests, taking on the cost of the electricity themselves," Collom said.
RELATED: Appleton's Bird scooter program totals 13,000 rides in four months
WATCHDOG Q&A: Duke Behnke answers your local government questions
At least two area chargers — at Bubolz Nature Preserve in Grand Chute and at Bergstrom Neenah Ford-Lincoln — are powered by renewable energy through the use of solar panels. Both units were installed by EnTech Solutions.
"This enables EV owners to take their clean energy goals to the next level by charging up with renewable energy, leading to a decrease in overall emission by avoiding the use of fossil fuel electricity to charge their vehicles," Collom said.
EV charging stations can be located by using apps like ChargeHub or PlugShare.
The apps list charging stations at Bergstrom Chevrolet of Appleton, Heckrodt Wetland Reserve and Festival Foods in Menasha, Evergreen Credit Union in Fox Crossing, Holliday Inn and Fairfield Inn & Suites in Grand Chute, and Hydro Park and City Hall in Kaukauna, to name a few.
Post-Crescent reporter Duke Behnke answers your questions about local government. Send questions to dbehnke@gannett.com or call him at 920-993-7176.