The Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) and FreeWire Technologies are scheduled to host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2 p.m. on September 23 at AJ’s OldTown Steakhouse & Tavern in Homer to commemorate the commissioning of the first of nine electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging stations to be installed at nine locations across Alaska. It also marks the first ultrafast EV charger in Alaska. The AEA aims to implement a fully operational fast-charging corridor by Summer 2022.
In June 2021, AEA awarded nearly $1 million in grants to support the installation of eight Level 2 (L2) chargers and 15 Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFC) at nine sites across Alaska. The goal of the program is to locate one fast-charging station approximately every 50 to 100 miles along the state’s highway system, as funding and existing power supply infrastructure allow. The funds cover the final design, installation, hardware, software, network, and operations and maintenance services for five years. The successful applicants are contributing an additional $500,000 in matching funds for a total of approximately $1.5 million investment in Alaska’s EV charging infrastructure.
Several other locations across the Kenai Peninsula are set to receive EV charging stations, including the Seward Chamber of Commerce (1 DCFC and 1 L2), Soldotna Custom Seafood Processors (2 DCFC), and Cooper Landing Grizzly Ridge Lodge (2 DCFC).
AEA Executive Director Curtis W. Thayer:
“Building this fast-charging corridor in Alaska helps support EV growth throughout the state. One of the major issues, as people look to EV adoption, is range anxiety. Providing the opportunity for EVs to have access to charging stations along the state’s highways is important because it allows for long-distance driving. The first ultrafast charging site in Alaska might be at the end of the road here in Homer but, for AEA, it is the beginning of Alaska’s Electric Highway.”
AEA’s EV team seeks to reduce barriers to EV adoption across the state and be among the first sites in the United States to bring ultrafast charging to remote areas without the need for infrastructure upgrades through FreeWire’s differentiated battery-integrated systems. The AEA states that the development of a fast-charging corridor along the state’s highway system demonstrates the ability to provide EV fast-charging everywhere, not just in urban environments.
Rob Anderson, FreeWire Technologies Business Development Director:
“Alaska’s incredibly high demand charges make the use of conventional EV charging systems too expensive, as these costs are typically passed on to the site host. With the ability to charge electric vehicles directly from FreeWire’s battery-integrated system instead of the costly utility grid, these demand charges are all but eliminated. This is also helpful to utilities as it reduces power being needed at the far edge of the electricity grid.“
Other parts of the United States are transitioning to electric vehicles, but for Alaskans, barriers to utilizing them here include range anxiety, unknown performance in a cold climate, and costs that prevent them from confidently making an EV their next vehicle purchase. The Alaska Energy Authority hopes that these nine EV stations will encourage further EV adoption across the state’s road system in the future.
