Electric Charging Stations Now in Pinellas County Courthouse Parking Lot

Drivers of electric vehicles will get a real charge out of parking in one of two, designated electric charging stations in the west parking lot of the Pinellas County Courthouse in downtown Clearwater.

The two parking spaces, known officially as electric vehicle supply equipment sites, are reserved for electric cars only.  The program is the result of an agreement between the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners and Progress Energy Florida.

Progress Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, is partnering with several local agencies in Pinellas County to provide recharging stations as part of a pilot program funded by a U.S. Department of Energy grant, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.  Progress Energy Florida maintains the spaces; the property owner supplies the electricity. At the end of the pilot period, the equipment becomes the owner’s property.

The campaign kicked off late last year as the first two charging stations were installed at the offices of the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council in Pinellas Park. TBRPC is working with several area partners, including Progress Energy Florida, on a Get Ready Tampa Bay campaign designed to make electric vehicles more consumer friendly and promote the use of electric vehicles as green energy solutions.

Progress Energy Florida plans to install 50 charging stations within their 35-county service area, 30 in Pinellas County, adjacent to government buildings, libraries, city halls, industrial centers and commercial establishments.

More information on the Get Ready Tampa Bay campaign can be found at www.getreadytampabay.org

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