ENFIELD, Conn. (WTNH) — Can you see a future where more people drive electric vehicles? Millions of dollars were set aside to build out a network of charging stations across Connecticut.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm visited Enfield Thursday to highlight the jobs the Biden administration says the new federal infrastructure law will bring to the state.
Connecticut has $53 million to expand charging stations across its major corridors. Granholm said that means jobs, jobs, jobs.
She stopped by Control Module Inc. in Enfield Thursday to tout the plan.
“The money that will be here for EV charging stations, the nice thing is that’s there’s already a plan and a strategy. I mean, the fact that Connecticut is ahead of the game, already setting goals for the number of clean energy vehicles that they’d like to see. We want to be able to highlight that. And you also happen to have a great company that is manufacturing in the U.S., which is the president’s ultimate goal.
Granholm said President Joe Biden wants to see American-based manufacturers like Control Module expand. It’s all part of a state and federal partnership to address air-quality issues.
“We’re going to put 500,000 electric passenger vehicles on the road by 2030 to meet our targets,” Katie Dykes, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) said. “We’re at about 17,000 today. That means that we need to continue to provide supports for rebates for our folks and businesses to purchase electric vehicles, nut most importantly to get chargers deployed across the state.”
Control Module builds its own products and test equipment. The 51-year-old company prides itself on being microprocessor experts.
Owner James Bianco said he’s been waiting for a moment like this.
“To be recognized makes a big difference for us because we’re just a little company here in Connecticut,” Bianco said. “Sometimes nobody knows about us. Big ideas. Doing big systems.”
The stop in Enfield is part of a two-day trip for Granholm. She is heading to Rhode Island and Massachusetts to tout various parts of this new law.