Despite low utilization, officials with Wild Rose School Division (WRSD) have opted to keep funding electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at its newer schools.
EV charging stations have been built at the four newest school locations: David Thompson High School in Leslieville, Charlotte Small Elementary School in Condor, as well as Evergreen Elementary School and Powerhouse Campus in Drayton Valley.
WRSD Superintendent Brad Volkman says the company that installed the stations gave the division a free, two-year ‘subscription’ to allow it to charge users who plug in and track overall usage.
Now with the free subscription expiring, the board was faced with the decision on whether to fund it themselves – at around $300 annually per station.
“Without the subscription, you can’t charge people [fees] who plug in, and you can’t track usage,” says Volkman.
Ultimately, the board decided to pay the annual $300 subscription fee per unit, even with the prospect of losing money.
“It’s not like it’s a money maker for us,” says Volkman. “We weren’t even bringing in $300 per port from them last year.”
At last year’s rate, Volkman says the stations would have generated enough revenue for the division to cover the added utility cost, but not enough for the $300 subscription.
A closeup of the electric vehicle charging station outside David Thompson High School in Leslieville, AB. (Photo by Wild Rose School Division/Used with permission)
Volkman adds in a rural area such as the West Country, there simply aren’t yet a lot of people who drive electric vehicles, himself included.
With the EV charging stations fully functional for at least one more school year, Volkman says the board will give it one more try to determine its usefulness.
“There might be a reason why it’s nice to have those actively working, because it might draw people into your community,” says Volkman.
The board will revisit the issue at the start of the 2025/2026 school year.
“As EV cars become more popular, maybe it’ll be a good thing,” says Volkman. “So we just want to monitor it.”
READ MORE: Charlotte Small Elementary School opens doors in Condor
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