The Government of Alberta announced February 4 that it is providing $1.2 million in Climate Leadership Plan funding to the Community Energy Association to support the Peaks to Prairies Southern Alberta Electric Vehicle Network. When completed, the Peaks to Prairies network will cover more than 1,700 kilometres of southern Alberta highways and “transition the region to full electric vehicle connectivity.” The charging stations will be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy from southern Alberta.
The Peaks to Prairies network addresses a gap in charging infrastructure across southern Alberta by developing a base network for electric vehicle charging stations. The network will also give electric vehicle users access to more cultural and recreational opportunities in southern Alberta.
The project was created by a group of southern Alberta municipalities and economic development groups, including SouthGrow Regional Initiative, Alberta SouthWest Regional Alliance, City of Lethbridge, City of Calgary and Medicine Hat College. The partners came together in 2016 with an interest in developing a regional electric vehicle charging network to facilitate emissions reductions, economic development and tourism.
The network will use charging stations that are made in Canada by AddEnergie. Alberta-based ATCO Electric was chosen by the project partners to install, own and operate the network. It will connect at least 20 communities in southern Alberta.
See also “Alectra to power EV chargers with DERs,” elsewhere this issue.