Potomac Edison Installs 4 Electric Vehicle Fast-Charging Stations around Maryland

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Potomac Edison, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy, has completed installation of four electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging stations in Hancock and McHenry, the first such units the company has installed in its Maryland service area.

Fast-charging stations, also known as direct-current fast chargers (DCFC), can provide an 80% charge for most vehicles in less than an hour, enabling drivers to recharge during the day or on a break. Earlier this month, Potomac Edison installed two of these stations at Joseph Hancock Primitive Park in Hancock, and in late December the company installed two fast-charging stations at the Deep Creek Lake Information Center in McHenry.

Potomac Edison also installed Level 2 charging stations, which can accommodate two vehicles for simultaneous charging and deliver 8 to 24 miles of range per hour of charging, at the Deep Creek Information Center and at the Rail Trail Municipal Parking Lot in Hancock in December.

The new stations are part of Potomac Edison's EV Driven pilot program, a five-year Maryland Public Service Commission-approved program designed to benefit the state's environment by reducing auto emissions and support Maryland's goal to reach 300,000 zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025. Over the course of the program, Potomac Edison will install 59 charging stations, including 20 fast-charging stations, across its seven-county Maryland territory.

Over the last two months, in addition to the fast-charging stations, Potomac Edison has completed new dual port Level 2 stations in Boonsboro, Cumberland, Keedysville, New Market and Oakland. To date, Potomac Edison has installed 16 charging stations at the following locations:

• Boonsboro: Boonsboro Town Hall, 15 North Main St.
• Cumberland: Allegany College, 12401 Willowbrook Road
• Cumberland: Liberty Street Parking, 40 North Liberty St.
• Frederick: MARC Station, 155 B and O Ave.
• Frostburg: Parish Hall Parking Lot, 16 Uhl St.
• Hancock: Joseph Hancock Primitive Park, 159 West Main St. (two stations)
• Hancock: Rail Trail Municipal Parking Lot, 77 West Main St.
• Keedysville: Keedysville Library, 22 Taylor Drive
• McHenry: Deep Creek Lake Information Center, 2 Vacation Way (three stations)
• McHenry: Garrett College, 687 Mosser Road
• Middletown: Middletown Municipal Parking, 119 Washington St.
• New Market: New Market Town Hall, 40 South Alley
• Oakland: Oakland Municipal Parking, 108 East Oak St.

Potomac Edison says the installation of public charging stations through the EV Driven program will help reduce "range anxiety" for EV owners, as well as provide key data to help determine future implementation efforts throughout Maryland and other areas served by FirstEnergy's utilities. Potomac Edison is also offering rebates for both residential and non-residential charger installations.