Rivermoor Energy, a provider of clean energy development solutions for commercial and government customers, in partnership with the town of Deerfield, Massachusetts, and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), has completed a new electric vehicle fast-charging hub in downtown South Deerfield.
The opening of the charging hub will be celebrated with a ribbon-cutting event Friday, November 15. The project is funded by a $2.46 million federal Charging and Infrastructure (CFI) grant, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). It is the first CFI grant project to be completed in the eastern United States and is also compliant with the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program. The EV charging hub, located at 59 North Main Street in South Deerfield, is now open to the public. The charging stations are fully accessible to visit and use for local EV drivers, by either mobile phone or credit card.
“This is a large step forward for clean energy in Massachusetts and demonstrates the commonwealth’s leadership in the energy transition,” says U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern. “This project will also serve as a blueprint for others across the state and around the country, showing communities a way to implement innovative technologies and solutions that benefit the environment, the economy and most importantly, the people who live in and around these areas.”
The public access facility includes four new EV chargers — two dual-port Level 3 DC fast chargers and two dual-port Level 2 chargers for a total of eight charging ports. EVs will be able to fully charge in 20 minutes or less.
The positive environmental impact goes beyond EVs. In recent years, Deerfield has experienced increased flooding from nearby rivers, including the Deerfield River, the Connecticut River and the Bloody Brook. The project incorporates environmental engineering designed to mitigate and adapt to the effects of flooding and climate, including the installation of permeable asphalt and rain gardens; planting of native trees, grasses, and shrubs; and creating new green space in the center of Deerfield.
To support the BIL’s employment, apprenticeship and economic development objectives, the town selected skilled contractors, engineers and designers from Massachusetts, including Universal Electric of West Springfield, Taylor Davis Landscape & Construction of Amherst, Berkshire Design Group of Northampton, and Weston & Sampson engineering of Reading. Massachusetts’ Eversource Energy upgraded on-site utility infrastructure to enable the EV charging station technology to seamlessly operate with its electric distribution system.
The Deerfield project advances U.S. manufacturing and job creation by using American-made charging technology from Autel for ultra-fast EV charging, ChargePoint for Level 2 charging, Eaton for infrastructure equipment and supply chain logistics support from Rexel Energy Solutions.