Solar powered charging station coming to SV park
One of Sonoma County’s three new vehicle charging stations is coming to North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve in Sonoma Valley. Similar solar-powered units, each with two chargers, will be deployed at Ragle Ranch Regional Park in Sebastopol, and Taylor Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve in Santa Rosa.
The charging stations are free to the public (with park parking fee where applicable).
Sonoma County the purchased stations to support zero-emission vehicles and mitigate ongoing climate disruption, consistent with the Climate Action and Resiliency pillar of the County’s strategic plan. The initiative is part of a larger program to replace all eligible County Fleet internal combustion engines with electric vehicles by 2030.
The mobile units could be relocated over time, depending on use rate, or as a backup power supply in the event of an emergency.
“With the devastating health and economic consequences of climate change growing here and elsewhere, we know that Sonoma County must act with urgency,” said Supervisor Chris Coursey, chair of the Board of the Supervisors. “This versatile new infrastructure is completely off-grid and transportable, which makes it a sustainable source of electricity for first responders and the general public, especially during an emergency.”
The new charging stations are manufactured by Beam Global. The cost of each unit is $81,595 including taxes and is funded by the county’s Climate Resilience Funding program. The Climate Resilience Fund, which totals $10 million, was set aside by the Board of Supervisors in 2021 using PG&E settlement funds from the 2017 wildfires.
Other projects under development as part of the Climate Resilience Fund include a rainwater catchment system for Helen Putnam Regional Park; installing EV charging stations at the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office; bike lane construction on Arnold Drive; prescribed animal grazing for wildfire mitigation; and fare-free public transit for Sonoma County youth.
