Delivering a regional charge

Area electricity distributor ERTH Corporation completes network of 24 publicly accessible electric vehicle chargers in Southwestern Ontario

Photo: Chris White, president & CEO of ERTH Corporation, plugs in an electrical vehicle at an ERTH EV charging location in Port Stanley

INGERSOLL-BASED ERTH CORPORATION has announced the completion of the ERTH Energy Community EV Network, a network of 24 publicly accessible level 2 electric vehicle (EV) chargers connecting ERTH’s 15 service communities that stretch from Lake Erie to Lake Huron.

According to a company statement, ERTH is using its “knowledge of the local electricity grid and leveraging relationships with municipal shareholders to deploy a network of EV chargers in locations that make sense for both EV drivers and the electricity system.”

The new EV chargers are located at 12 locations in eight communities to provide residents and travellers with more options to charge their electric vehicles where they live, work and play.

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To encourage increased adoption of zero-emission vehicles, Natural Resources Canada provided $99,900 in funding to ERTH Corporation to help it build 21 of the 24 EV chargers across Southwestern Ontario. ERTH and its participating municipal shareholders are contributing the parking spots and the remaining funds required to the purchase and install the EV chargers. With the federal funding, the total cost of the project is approximately $330,000.

The new charging locations include a mix of on-street locations (in Aylmer, Goderich, Tavistock and Mitchell) and public parking lots located at arenas, tourism information centres, beaches and downtown cores (Aylmer, Port Stanley, Goderich, Belmont, Norwich and Clinton).

Electricity to the chargers will be provided by ERTH Power Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ERTH Corporation. The chargers are pay-for-use and EV drivers will pay a competitive market rate to charge their vehicles, which is currently $1.50 per hour of charging.

Owned by nine municipal shareholders, ERTH Corporation distributes electricity to 15 communities in Southwestern Ontario.

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ERTH Power Corporation is a licensed distribution company delivering electricity, billing and maintenance services to over 25,000 residential and commercial customers in the municipalities of Aylmer, Port Stanley, Belmont, Ingersoll, Thamesford, Otterville, Norwich, Burgessville, Beachville, Embro, Tavistock, Clinton, Mitchell

According to ERTH Corporation, the ERTH Energy Community EV Charging Network will soon expand with the installation of a level-three EV fast charger at the Goderich Tourist Information Centre. ERTH has also partnered with the County of Elgin and the Municipality of Central Elgin to install 20 level-two EV chargers at their respective workplaces. These projects are expected to be completed by the fall of 2021.