Electric Vehicle Charging Station Open and Ready for Business
The charging station is open and ready for business! It is located in the parking lot directly behind City Hall between Oakwood and Forest Avenues on the north end by the Baptist Church. Signage and special green pavement striping indicate its location, and the station contains one dual-plug switch with retractable cords. Users are charged $1/hour, with the City receiving $0.57/hour and the other portion of the fee going to ComEd and the service provider. Customers are able to pay for the charge with a contactless credit card. a ChargePoint card or wirelessly through ChargePoint's app, and may choose how many hours of electricity they would like to purchase. At any time, users may call customer service, a number listed on every charging station.
At the October 7, 2013 meeting, the Lake Forest City Council approved the installation of an electrical vehicle charging station. The City received a grant of $8,587 for the $18,625 project with the balance of the cost eventually being offset by user fees. “The charging station was identified in the City’s Strategic Plan as a method for advancing environmental stewardship initiatives,” comments Mayor Don Schoenheider. “I’m excited that Lake Forest is a community leading this effort.”
The City of Lake Forest jointly bid this project through its affiliation with the North Shore Electricity Aggregation Consortium. In 2012, the Consortium initiated a referendum on electricity purchasing, resulting in substantial savings for Lake Forest residents.