By Joel Weiner
Are you thinking of buying an all-electric vehicle? If so, you’ll want to know that there are enough charging stations around town, in apartment complexes and condo buildings, for example, not to mention shopping centres and other publicspaces. So far, the answer is no, especially in Lowertown. But that may change , even though the building code, a provincial statute, does not require that electric=vehicle charging be installed in order to get a building permit.
“However, the City of Ottawa recognizes the environmental impact of electrical vehicles and is currently developing initiatives with them in mind,” says Andrea Flowers, Section Manager, Climate Change and Resiliency in the Planning, Infrastructure and Economic Development Department. “The High-Performance Development Standard, currently in development, will encourage new-building construction that is ready for electric-vehicle charging.”
As part of the program, the City is installing public, pay-for-use charging at 12 sites across Ottawa, as well as developing personal and commercial vehicle-electrification strategies to educate and inform the public about electric vehicles. In addition, it will support and encourage the installation of public charging and public pay-for-use charging as funds are available.
“The City will continue to monitor the infrastructural needs for electric vehicle charging stations in Ottawa,” says Flowers. “It also supported Hydro Ottawa’s recent bid to secure Natural Resources Canada funding for a program to assist with the installation of public charging at businesses and institutional settings, and results of this bid are expected shortly.”