Saint John Energy to add 10 new EV charging stations

Saint John Energy executive director of strategic growth & transformation Glen Fillmore, executive director of finance, people & community Shelley Wood, and M.P. Wayne Long made the announcement Wednesday morning in Saint John, N.B. (CTV/Avery MacRae)

As part of Saint John Energy’s Zero30 initiative to reach net zero emissions by 2030, the utility company is installing 10 new electric vehicle charging stations across the city. Four of the new chargers will Level 3 fast chargers.

Saint John Energy will own, operate, and maintain the new stations. The project comes at a cost of $380,000, half of which is being covered by Natural Resources Canada.

“We are very excited about the opportunity to bring more high speed charging to Saint John, particularly the Uptown,” says Saint John Energy executive director of strategic growth and transformation Glen Fillmore.

The new installations will bring the total amount of EV charging stations in the city to 18 operated by Saint John Energy. They are scheduled to be online by the end of 2024.

Four of the 10 new chargers, including two Level 3 ports, will be installed on the UNB Saint John campus. The other two Level 3 chargers will be installed at the Red Rose building uptown, owned by Commercial Properties Limited.

The TD Station parking lot will also get a pair of Level 2 chargers, as well as a parking lot located on Sewell Street. Commercial Properties Limited own both of these parking lots as well.

“We are pleased to be part of the initiative and provide sustainable options for our community,” Commercial Properties Limited president Paul McKiel says. “It is an exciting opportunity to expand our current program to include additional EV chargers uptown, including a dual level 3 fast charger. As the community continues to invest in more sustainable transportation options, we are eager to provide residents, visitors, and tenants with more ways to power up their vehicles.”

Saint John-Rothesay MP, Wayne Long, announced the federal funding for the project on behalf of Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s minister of Energy and Natural resources.

To date, Natural Resources Canada has spent funds to implement 42,000 EV charging stations nationwide to give Canadians reliable options from coast to coast.

“Electric vehicles are an invaluable tool in combating the impacts of climate change,” says Long. “These investments will expand our network of charging stations, allowing more people in our community to access clean transportation options. People in Saint John–Rothesay are making the switch to EV vehicles and they expect access to convenient and reliable charging and that is exactly what today’s announcement will provide.”

The federal government is phasing in 100 per cent new electric vehicle sales by 2035, which is estimated to reduce over 360 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

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