Apr 19 - The Hour - Norwalk, Conn.



A proposed plan to build a solar-powered car charging terminal at the Saugatuck train station has put the town of Westport at the forefront of the emerging electric vehicle market.

The town is seeking federal funds to install solar panels on the roof of the eastbound train station in Westport.

"The plan is to put conditions in place that would motivate people to use electric vehicles," Westport First Selectman Gordon Joseloff said. "We hope the project will serve as a model across the nation."

The town is seeking a federal grant to fund about 80 percent of the $330,000 project, Joseloff said. Private donations would likely fund the rest, he said.

 Under the plan, the town would convert 10 existing parking spaces in the front of the station to accommodate 20 two-passenger electric cars, which would plug into the nearby facility, according to town building official Steve Smith, who is working on the project.

Commuters would lease the parking spaces, as they would any other, and their payment would cover the cost of electricity to charge the vehicle, he said.

"There has to be incentive to get people to want to drive electric cars," Smith said. "With the lease of one of these spaces, you would not only get prime parking space right by the train station, but you would also get free electricity to charge up your vehicle."

There are few electric cars currently on the road, but the vehicles are expected to revolutionize the auto industry, according to Leo Cirino, a Westport resident and electrical engineer, who is also working on the project.

"At some point there is going to be an explosion," Cirino said. "Just wait until gas prices go back up to $4.50 a gallon. People will be screaming for these little cars."

The proposed charging station would be best suited for Westport residents who travel from home to the train station, and then commute to work, he said.

The plan would require approval from the state Department of Transportation, which owns the building.

Smith said Westport officials are hoping to schedule a meeting with ConnDOT in the coming weeks to discuss the project.

The Westport Green Energy Task Force voted unanimously last week in support of the application, he said, and the Southwest Metropolitan Planning Organization has also voted in favor of the project.

The U.S. Department of Energy is currently reviewing the application as a demonstration project for sustainable energy initiatives, Congressman Jim Himes, D-4, said.

Westport can expect a decision regarding its application for federal funding within the next five to six months, Himes said.

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