MASSENA — Employees, patients and visitors who are driving electric vehicles will now be able to get plugged in at Massena Hospital.
“The number of EV’s on the road is growing rapidly. Having an EV charger a few years ago was an oddity. Now it is becoming an increasingly expected amenity for a location like the hospital,” Massena Electric Department Superintendent Andrew J. McMahon said.
The Massena Electric Department and Department of Environmental Conservation funded the “JuiceBar” EV charger, which will be operated and maintained by Massena Hospital.
Mr. McMahon said they were looking for public parking lots where the charging stations could be installed under the DEC program. Because of the number of employees and volume of clients in and out of Massena Hospital every day, they contacted St. Lawrence Health officials, who said they could be installed at Massena Hospital.
“They’ve been great getting it off the ground,” he said.
“This is a great addition to our campus in Massena, and will benefit our patients, visitors and employees,” Massena Hospital President David Bender said in a statement.
Massena Hospital is among the latest organizations to receive charging stations in the community. The first charging stations in the village were installed in the village municipal parking lot. MED also worked with the Department of Environmental Conservation to get those up and running.
“This project represents a collaborative effort to meet green and sustainable community goals, including efforts to reduce the community’s carbon footprint,” Mr. McMahon said.
Mr. Bender said the charging station is not only convenient for those at Massena Hospital, but also offers a way to reduce carbon emissions.
“Our mission is to support the overall health of the community, and supporting vehicles with no carbon emissions is a logical fit for us,” he said.