Maine Audubon charges into future with vehicle power stations

Courtesy / Maine Audubon Sara J. Burns, president and CEO of CMP, and Maine Audubon Executive Director Ole Amundsen III at the ribbon cutting ceremony unveiling a new electric vehicle charging station at Maine Audubon's Falmouth headquarters at Gilsland Farm.

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By Staff

The 65 acres of winding trails, orchards and hiking trails of the Gilsland Farm Sanctuary in Falmouth might not seem like the ideal location for an electric vehicle charging station, but Ole Amundsen, the executive director of Maine Audubon, sees it differently.

“People come to Maine Audubon’s sanctuaries to escape the hustle and bustle, experience nature and learn about Maine’s wildlife and habitat,” Amundsen said in a statement. “This electric vehicle charging station underscores our commitment to environmental stewardship. It also adds a new dimension to something visitors to Gilsland Farm have long understood: it is the perfect place to recharge.”

The new solar-powered charging station installed at Gilsland Farm became a reality via a grant from Central Maine Power’s Electric Vehicle Program, which the utility company says has awarded more than $200,000 to 24 organizations across central and southern Maine.

Among the charging stations installed that tapped the grant program are the quick charge stations at the Fore Street parking garage in Portland and the South Portland Community Center.

CMP itself has thrown its weight behind the hybrid and electric vehicle push, saying that it’s added two Chevy Volts, an all-electric Ford Transit Connect minivan, 13 hybrid bucket trucks, and eight Ford Escape hybrids to its fleet.

“We have always felt that our responsibilities go beyond providing safe, reliable power delivery to Maine homes and businesses,” CMP President and CEO Sara J. Burns said in a statement. “We want to be a good neighbor in the communities we serve, and that includes showing respect for the environment and minimizing our carbon footprint as we do our work.”

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