The Juneau Assembly may soon mandate electric vehicle owners to buy a permit in order to use its electric car charging stations.
City-owned chargers in downtown Juneau and Douglas, the valley library and at the Eaglecrest Ski Area are currently available at no charge.
Under a proposed ordinance,vehicle owners would be required to purchase a permit for $50 a year and affix it to a rear window. Those caught charging their vehicle without a valid permit could be fined $25.
Juneau Electric Vehicle Association‘s Secretary Duff Mitchell said there had been, “some coffee talk around town that we should have a harbor permit but it’s an EV charging permit to help offset some of the small cost of electricity that an electric vehicle can take when it’s charging.”
With its limited road system and relatively low power rates, electric vehicles are popular in Alaska’s capital city. Alaska Electric Light & Power estimates there are about 200 vehicles on the road with about two added each week.
Mitchell said he hopes the electric vehicle community is consulted over whatever permit plan the city decides to roll out.
“We just want to make sure that we promote and encourage electric vehicle adoption,” he said. “We just want to make sure that maybe any permitting program is going to promote and assist the electric vehicle community.”
The ordinance will have its first reading at Monday’s Juneau Assembly meeting. It could be adopted as early as next month.
