Crystal Mountain, Mich., has five free public EV chargers. The resort may add more, which will be easier to do since it owns its own 12,000-volt electrical system, and might charge for charging.
Vt., some existing infrastructure will be removed at multiple base areas to make way for a new village. The resort is working in close partnership with the developer, utility, and other stake- holders to ensure the project is in sync with efforts to reduce its carbon emissions. Killington has nearly 50 Level 2 chargers across its resort parking lots (including at Pico Mountain). “We’re identifying where to update the power supply to accommodate more chargers, maybe even relocate the ones that were displaced,” says Amy Laramie, VP of brand market- ing and events. Planning for expansion can take a while. For Norton and his team at Loon, it took more than a year to find a supplier to work with. “Our sister properties (Loon is owned by Boyne Resorts) were organizing similar projects at the same time, so we all landed on the same supplier to have a common entity to work with,” he says. CHARGING RATES Whether EV chargers are free to use or require a fee is typical- ly determined by capabilities of the model and/or the resort’s needs. Some chargers, especially older and slower models, are not equipped to accept payment. Where there is less demand, resorts may choose to offer free charging because electricity costs remain relatively low compared to the cost of upgrading. Brighton, for example, spends just a couple hundred dol- lars a year to provide free EV charging and has no plans to change that. “Since it’s not huge, we can absorb the cost and keep charging completely free for guests and staff,” Layton says. On the other hand, as utilization soars at some resorts, newer charging models may help recoup some of the expense. After more than a decade offering charging for free, Crystal Mountain is “researching options that allow us to charge for a charge,” says MacInnes. Killington will also look to recover some costs in the future with paid chargers. “We can’t give elec- tricity out for free forever,” says Laramie, “but with our new chargers, we’ll just be looking to cover the market rate cost.” For resorts where demand for charging is so high that queues form during peak times, a second tier of pricing can be deployed to help manage turnover at designated EV charging parking spaces. Resorts can set higher rates and time limits to encourage drivers to move their vehicles once fully charged to free the unit up for the next vehicle. This fee helps reduce frus- tration for waiting drivers as well as staff helping to manage the flow of users. Where parking is limited, resorts might include a grace period of up to a few hours so guests can enjoy a full day on the mountain without having to worry about the vehicle until
installation— something Brigh- ton Resort, Utah, encountered when it set out to expand from two to six charging ports. “We’re just trying to find the infrastructure to support the addi- tional chargers,” says sustainabil- ity coordinator Abby Layton, “then they will be installed and avail- able to guests and employees.”
Prior to installing EV chargers, resorts should contact their utility provider to find out if any incentives are available and if incentives have eligibility requirements. Incentives from the state and electric utility helped lower the cost of the chargers for Brighton enough to “where it’s just practical for us to pro- vide a better experience for the guests,” says Layton. While she awaits the installation, Layton is working with the utility and with Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality to secure rebates. “The process is fairly simple once you choose from the list of approved companies to work with,” says Layton. PLANNING AHEAD Another reason to partner with the utility ahead of any new development or renovation is to ensure the site is ready to accept charging infrastructure now or in the future. Identi- fy opportunities to increase electrical capacity and design forward-thinking plans now to save on future “make-ready” work, which can be one of the more costly components of these installations. Crystal Mountain, Mich., which installed the first two of its five EV chargers in 2011, operates its own 12,000-volt electrical system, which will simplify the process for future installations. “We have a lot of our own infrastructure on site, which makes it easier,” says Jim MacInnes, chairperson and former longtime CEO of the resort. “When we’re ready to expand our charging, we’ll still probably have to get a permit, but everything is a lot easier.” As part of a large development project at Killington Resort,
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