PANAMA CITY, FL. (WMBB) — If you have an electric car and need a place to charge it Mexico Beach is about to be one of those locations.
In the past few years, Duke Energy and Mexico Beach have been looking to bring EV charging stations to the Forgotten Coastline. Right now, Duke Energy has about two dozen charging stations across Florida with one already in Apalachicola. Mexico Beach Tourism Director Kimberly Shoaf says Duke Energy is currently examining a spot at Mexico Beach.
“Some ideas were thrown around and then the idea got shelved. And then I reached out to Duke asking about possibly bringing this program to the Welcome Center. And then we started to collaborate and get that project moving forward,” Shoaf said.
Duke Energy will pay for the installation and be responsible for the upkeep. No word yet on how much it will cost to charge your electric car. Shoaf says they are in the waiting stages.
“Duke Energy has a program where municipalities can apply to see about getting potential grants from Duke Energy to put in these electric vehicle charging stations. And there’s a process that you go through in the city that’s currently going through that process right now,” Shoaf said.
Mexico Beach officials would like the project to be complete by mid-summer. Mexico Beach City Administrator Christ Hubbard says hopefully the charging stations can boost tourism in the area.
“You know, it helps us out economically. It helps bring attention to our area. And so I’m just looking forward to seeing new people here who might not show up otherwise,” Hubbard said.
If Duke Energy does not approve of the Mexico Beach Welcome Center, Mexico Beach officials say they will choose another spot.
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