By Mary Hladky
Nine new electric vehicle charging stations will be installed at seven city locations thanks to a Florida Power & Light program that will provide the stations at no cost to Boca Raton.
Under agreements with FPL that City Council members approved on Sept. 22, four existing EV charging stations at City Hall, the Downtown Library and the Spanish River Library will be replaced by new ones.
Stations also will be installed where none now exist. Red Reef Park, South Beach Park and Spanish River Park will get one station each. Two will be located at the Municipal Services Complex at 2500 NW First Ave.
FPL will install and maintain the stations. The city will be responsible for paying for the electricity dispensed through the stations, an expense city officials said will be “nominal.”
“I am pleased to know we are upgrading and expanding our current four EV charging stations to nine, in areas across the city,” said City Council member Monica Mayotte, an advocate for environmental protections.
City staff initiated the agreements with FPL, “which tells me that the city is committed to providing EV charging stations to EV owners who reside in and visit Boca Raton,” she said.
The FPL program, announced Sept. 18 during National Drive Electric Week, will install more than 1,000 electric vehicle ports at more than 100 locations across the state.
Many will be for public use at parks, shopping malls and Brightline train stations in West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Some will be for both public and employee use, such as at Jupiter Medical Center.
“Our new Evolution program will help the state significantly expand the amount of EV charging stations, so more Floridians can enjoy the benefits of using electric vehicles,” FPL said in its announcement.
The charging stations are expected to be installed and operational in late December or early January, said city spokeswoman Chrissy Gibson.
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