Eastern Co-ops Partner on Bird Park EV Charger

During this year’s Drive Electric Week (September 25–October 3), Sylvan Heights Bird Park held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its first electric vehicle (EV) charging station — a single ChargePoint Level 2 CT 4000 commercial charging station, which has two ports and can fully charge most vehicles in less than four hours.

The nonprofit bird park, located in Scotland Neck in Halifax County, is part of the NC Zoo Society and home to the world’s largest collection of waterfowl.

Funding for the charging station was provided through the North Carolina Volkswagen Settlement, with additional support provided by Halifax EMC, Edgecombe-Martin County EMC, Roanoke Electric Cooperative and Tideland EMC through North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives’ matching grant program. Lake Gaston Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Foundation also awarded Sylvan Heights an EV grant.

“Sylvan Heights reached out to us to ask for help in bridging the gap between the VW settlement rebate they received and the remaining cost,” said Halifax EMC Manager of Marketing and Economic Development Julia Allsbrook. “While the bird park isn’t served by an electric co-op, we felt it was important to support the project as we all continue to promote expansion of the EV charging network, and because the park is such an economic asset to Halifax County and surrounding counties — bringing over 55,000 visitors per year.”

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by park staff members and Scotland Neck town officials, along with representatives from Halifax EMC, Edgecombe-Martin County EMC and North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives.