SARASOTA COUNTY – Sarasota County has added three publicly available electric vehicle charging stations at county facilities, as part of a comprehensive strategy to support the adoption of electric vehicles and encourage sustainable transportation choices.
Residents and visitors driving electric vehicles (EVs) now can charge up at any of 16 county-owned locations with charging stations installed. The newest stations, which brings the number of available ports to 24, include:
- Englewood Sports Complex: 1300 S River Road, Englewood
- North Port Library: 13800 S. Tamiami Trail, North Port
- Woodmere Park: 3951 Woodmere Park Blvd., Venice
Publicly available electric vehicle charging stations opened by Sarasota County at (l-r) Englewood Sports Complex in Englewood, North Port Library in North Port, and Woodmere Park in Venice.
[CREDIT: Sarasota County]
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Grant funding supported installation of many previous stations, but that limited locations to northern Sarasota County. So, county staff picked the latest sites to help balance the geographic distribution across the county.
To reduce costs, the new stations are not connected to a charging station network, which would have required more expensive equipment and annual fees. The stations are, however, listed on www.plugshare.com, a free website and app to locate networked and non-networked stations across the country.
Sarasota County also offers an incentive program to certain types of businesses and non-profit organizations that install stations on their own properties. The ChargeUp! Sarasota County program provides rebates on the purchase and installation of charging stations at tourism and retail destinations, as well as community centers, government properties, and large employers. Limited funds remain, however, so interested organizations should act fast. Three organizations already have received rebates for newly installed stations. Learn more about the results of this program at www.scgov.net/government/sustainability/sustainability/electric-vehicles.
Funding for both programs derives from penalties assessed for environmental offenses within the county.
Find additional information on the ChargeUp! program, a map of all county-owned charging stations, and information on electric vehicles in general at the county’s EVs website (search “electric vehicles” at www.scgov.net) or by calling 941-861-5000.
Sarasota County prohibits discrimination in all services, programs or activities.
View the complete policy at www.scgov.net (keywords ADA compliance).