Charging station proposal electrifies city council

Officials at Flathead Electric Cooperative are planning a regional network of charging stations for electric vehicles and eyeing Libby as a potential location.

Working with other cooperatives and organizations in the area, the utility is vying for the latest round of funding, funneled through the Department of Environmental Quality, from a massive settlement with Volkswagon in 2016. For the first time, the state is asking for proposals for what are known as level three stations, which can quickly charge an electric vehicle.

While the details of the cooperative’s proposed network remain sketchy — officials say they are still hammering out the details between organizations — Libby seems the likely future home of a charging station. To that end, utility representative Teri Rayome-Kelly asked Libby City Council on Nov. 16 to draw up a letter of support for the endeavor.

Because the money will be awarded on a points system, any additional support from the community adds to the proposal’s viability, Rayome-Kelly said. Working in conjunction with other utilities, for example, makes their proposal more attractive to Helena, she said.

“We get more points when we are working together. One of the things I need from the council and from business owners that would be [helpful] are letters of support,” Rayome-Kelly said. “Any letters detailing the economic benefits … would be great.”

City councilors were quick to lend their support to the project. When Mayor Brent Teske asked for the body’s thoughts on the request, City Councilor Kristin Smith was quick to express her approval.

“Absolutely,” she said, telling Rayome-Kelly: “Nice job.”

The station envisioned for the municipality would be located near the Libby Chamber of Commerce building and along U.S. Highway 2. It would serve as a level three charging station, meaning a vehicle could build up in about 20 minutes enough energy to make it several hundred miles before needing a recharge, with a level two charging station as a backup. The latter require more time to charge a vehicle, usually several hours.

Ross Holter, director of energy and member services at Flathead Electric Cooperative, said the utility sees electric vehicles as the wave of the future. While not ubiquitous now, Holter said based on his research, the vehicles are poised to grow in popularity as motorists increasingly recognize the savings in maintenance and fuel costs.

“We think the economics is what going to drive it,” Holter said, pointing to cooperative employees who have been surprised by the cost savings after switching to electric vehicles. “They’re a lot cheaper to run … They don’t have hardly any maintenance necessary and that is going to be an issue for car dealers, but we think there is going to be a huge adoption of [electric vehicles].”

Aside from an expected surge in interest among motorists, Holter said staying on top of emerging trends and technology is part of the job at a member-owned cooperative.

“We think our membership is morphing to [electric vehicles] in the future. We want to be prepared and have charging stations for them,” he said. “Being up to speed and knowledgeable of all things electric vehicle and charging — it’s our duty.”

The Libby station likely would be one of six in the region, Holter said, and would be seen as a way to encourage tourism to Glacier National Park. The application to the state is due Jan. 11. If the cooperative’s proposal found favor in Helena, the state-facilitated dollars would cover about 90 percent of the cost of construction.

Holter expects they could be built as soon as next summer.

In the meantime, Rayome-Kelly asked city councilors in Libby to reach out to area business owners and encourage them to send letters of support as well. She planned to meet with the Libby Chamber of Commerce in the coming days and make the same request.

Every little jolt of support helped, she told city council.

“We want to score high enough,” Rayome-Kelly said. “We don’t know who else is applying for this funding. There’s only so much of it.”