Electric vehicle charging stations installed in Becket
Becket — In partnership with Eversource, the town of Becket is now home to the first municipally-owned electric charging station in Berkshire County. Two electric vehicle charging stations have been installed at Town Hall, demonstrating a collaboration between the town and energy company to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Commonwealth, 40 percent of which come from the transportation sector.
“This is an exciting time in our small town’s history,” said Becket town administrator Bill Caldwell. “We may not have a gas station, but thanks to the support from board members, our community and Eversource, EV owners are now able to charge up in Becket. Hopefully, other towns will follow our lead and commit to bettering our environment and air quality by installing their own EV stations.”
Eversource’s EV charging station program covers up to 90% of the total cost associated with installing EV charging stations and manages the process from start to finish; participating municipalities only have to purchase and install the charging equipment. Other Western Massachusetts communities that have partnered with Eversource to install EV charging stations include Pittsfield, Springfield, Greenfield, Deerfield, Agawam, Amherst, Montague and Shelburne.
In an effort to ensure equitable access to EV charging across the state, Eversource has earmarked 10 percent of program funding for sites in Environmental Justice Communities like Becket, where Eversource covers 100 percent of the costs, including the charging stations.
