Gov. Janet Mills, D-Maine, has unveiled a new public-use electric vehicle (EV) charging station at the West Gardiner Turnpike Plaza and announced incentive awards to 23 municipalities to install 47 new public charging stations across the state.

The fast-charging (Level 3) station unveiled on Friday in West Gardiner, along with the awards to install more across Maine, is another step forward in Mills’ ongoing work with Efficiency Maine Trust to expand the use of EVs.

“Too many Maine people are at the mercy of the gas pump and its prices. It is time to break the stranglehold that fossil fuel companies have over our wallets and put that money back into the pockets of Maine people,” says Mills. “By expanding the network of charging stations, our state is making electric vehicles a reality for more people, helping them save money on fuel costs and protecting our environment from harmful carbon emissions – a hat trick for Maine.”

“Charging infrastructure and rebates for electric vehicles are both critical ways Maine is working to transition its transportation system into the 21st century,” adds Michael Stoddard, executive director of Efficiency Maine Trust. “This charging station in West Gardiner will serve regular commuters to and from Augusta, as well as out-of-state visitors. The sites we have been developing have been chosen to promote EV commuting and support the growing number of visitors driving EVs.”

Peter Mills, executive director of the Maine Turnpike Authority, notes that West Gardiner represents “the perfect location for a fast-charger in Maine,” as it is “at the confluence of Maine’s two major interstate highways, and there is always a restaurant open round the clock.”

The site is one of several locations within key travel corridors that Efficiency Maine is developing as “anchor sites” for a growing EV charging network. To date, the network includes seven anchor sites with 14 fast chargers.

Through its 23 incentive awards, Efficiency Maine is helping install 47 public Level 2 charging stations in strategic locations across the state, including at the following sites:

International Motel, Calais

Down East Community Partners, Milbridge

Indian Hill Trading Post, Greenville

Northern Maine Medical Center, Fort Kent

Town of Fort Kent, Downtown Fort Kent

Bates College, Lewiston

Bowdoin College, Brunswick

City of Auburn

City of Bangor

City of Bath

City of Belfast

City of Portland (Back Cove)

City of Portland (City Hall)

City of Portland (High Street)

City of Portland (Payson Park)

City of Portland (Westbrook St.)

City of Rockland

College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor

Falmouth School District, Falmouth

Holiday Inn Bangor, Bangor

Maine State Housing Authority, Augusta

Town of Skowhegan

Unum, Portland

The effort to expand Maine’s EV charging infrastructure is paired with the Efficiency Maine EV Accelerator Program, which Mills and Stoddard announced last month. It provides instant rebates for qualifying plug-in hybrid and battery EVs at participating car dealers in Maine.