With their community situated in a major travel corridor, Irwin officials are considering a feasibility study on bringing public electric vehicle charging stations to Irwin Park and downtown parking lots.
Council President Tyler Baum said he wants to direct the borough’s engineer, Gibson-Thomas Engineering Co. of Latrobe, to compile comprehensive information on bringing the chargers to the community.
“We still are in a high-priority area, with our proximity to the (Pennsylvania) Turnpike and Route 30,” Baum said.
Baum hopes Irwin can secure a portion of the $25 million PennDOT allocated last month for public EV charging stations across 18 Western Pennsylvania counties.
If the borough applies for and receives a grant through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Community Charging phase, federal funding would cover 80% of the cost. Local sources would fund the remaining 20%.
“We could try to solicit private donations or foundations” to cover the local match, Baum said.
Baum suggested placing two or three charging stations at Irwin Park and two in parking lots within the downtown business district. He noted concrete pricing estimates are not yet available.
Having the chargers downtown would allow drivers to plug in their vehicles while they eat or shop, which Baum argued is a better alternative than waiting at a convenience store.
Users would pay a fee to cover the electricity, which Baum said would likely fluctuate alongside changing power prices.
Councilman Nick Powanda noted the borough must carefully evaluate the logistics of connecting the new infrastructure to the local power grid.
Councilman Cody Karch voiced support for the concept.
While local transportation planning agencies will determine specific priority areas, PennDOT said all publicly available locations within Western Pennsylvania are eligible to apply.
The application deadline is Nov. 20, and applicants should learn if they are approved by January or February, Baum said.
The state previously allocated $62 million for public charging infrastructure. Pennsylvania leads the nation with 37 stations built through the community charging phase, with another 55 in various stages of planning and construction.
The proposal represents a shift for the local government. Baum previously suggested applying for the state funding in May 2023, but the motion died because no other council members would second it.
At the time, then-council President Rick Burdelski argued EV charging was a function of private businesses, pointing to the Sheetz Corp. station in neighboring North Huntingdon.