News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Sparta Board of Alderman has expressed interest in bringing new electric vehicle charging stations to its city.
Utility Manager Belva Bess approached the board and said Tennessee Tech, who funds the project, wants to gauge the interest from the city before moving forward. Mayor Jeff Young said the stations would be a great asset for the city’s tourism.
“We do feel like this is a great opportunity for us to encourage those folks with electric cars to stop at our downtown area,” Young said. “Charge their car, eat at one of our restaurants, visit one of our shops and visit Sparta.”
The farmer’s market and the electric department are the two locations considered. City Administrator Brad Hennessee said he will gather more information about the installation for the board to consider later this month.
“Both locations have pros and cons,” Hennessee said. “They are not to the point of saying yes, Sparta will get one or they will not. It sounds like the board is interested, so we will pursue more information for the next meeting.”
The charging stations are a part of a three-year Tennessee Tech study to research how electric vehicles could be the new future of transportation in rural communities. The $13,000 installation is covered by a grant from the U.S Department of Energy.
The city would not incur any maintenance costs for the first three years. After the three years, Sparta would have the chance to buy the stations for a reduced price. Young said the city explored installing charging stations about four years ago, but the price tag was too high.
