Conn. to double electric car charging stations

The state plans to more than double its 81 electric-vehicle charging stations by the end of the year, according to a recent announcement by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

With $200,000 in funding, public officials plan to install 119 additional stations across the state to prepare for an increased number of electric cars on the highway. The funding will be awarded to proposals made by municipalities and businesses.

“Electric vehicles run cleaner and are less harmful to the environment, and they are also more energy efficient and on average cheaper to operate than conventional fuel vehicles,” said DEEP Commissioner Daniel C. Esty in a press release. “Expanding the number of charging stations available to the public will help decrease motorists”™ concerns about running out of power in their electric vehicles and result in increasing sales of EVs.”

The transportation sector accounts for one-third of all energy consumed in the state and is the source of roughly 40 percent of  greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Department of Transportation.