Albert Lea looking

per

Energy

Continued from Front Page during the charge use a lot of energy — at rest areas, but near Trail’s Travel Center is in an area set up for expanded business growth that can take an additional energy load.

The conversation at the cooperative is focused on looking forward to when energy infrastructure upgrades may need to happen in the future.

“We have the infrastructure in place as far as supplying power to (the existing fast chargers),” Skogheim said. “... The demand just from those chargers, that’s very similar to a manufacturing facility, so that’s when you start thinking, OK, at what point, how many more fast chargers can actually go on that circuit before we need to upgrade a substation?”

Right now, the power is there for the people with EVs to charge their cars at home without issues (and Freeborn-Mower incentivizes charging at night, when wind energy is more prevalent), but if a whole neighborhood were to go electric, that would require additional infrastructural changes, too, Skogheim said.

According to plugshare. com, there are 24 charging stations in Albert Lea, including four that were under repair as of Jan. 30. Skogheim said automotive dealers in the area, such as Dave Syverson Auto Center, are also planning to invest in fast chargers. General Manager Travis Stortren did not respond to emailed requests for an interview.

Having EV chargers can also help drive business to places near where those chargers are, Design Ready Controls CEO Troy Schmidtke said.

Albert Lea Economic Development Agency Executive Director Phillip Johnson said the May