NECA Contractor on the Forefront of Building an EV Network
Seaport Energy, one of NECA Boston’s established and growing Women-Owned Businesses (WBE) continues to seek opportunities including its foray into the electric vehicle charging industry. Seaport is working on commercial and residential projects and installing electric vehicle charging stations across the Boston region.
Seaport Energy, owned by Gina McLaughlin, has been providing energy solutions for commercial, industrial and residential electrical needs since 2012. They serve as the exclusive electrical contractor at the Seaport World Trade Center and Seaport Hotel providing temporary power and lighting design for hundreds of trade shows, exhibits, galas and weddings. In addition to building electrical maintenance and whole floor fit-outs, they specialize and pride themselves in energy-efficient retrofits, temporary power distribution and electric vehicle charging installations and maintenance.
Shane Collins, Project Manager at Seaport Energy, oversees the firm's work to sustainably power a network of electric vehicles by installing EV charging stations with Eversource–New England’s largest energy delivery company. The Charge Point Level Two charging stations are being installed by Seaport employees who are Certified Installers through the firm.
A Network of Accessible EV Charging Stations
Recently, Seaport worked on a large EV charging station installation project at Raytheon’s Woburn location to power the aerospace conglomerate’s corporate office EV parking station. They installed 5 Level Two.
Dual Port charging stations that allow workers to recharge their cars at work–and avoid steep fuel prices.
Phase Two of the project is in the works, Collins says, where Seaport would work with Eversrouce to support an extra 20 EV connections.
The Future is EV and Sustainability
"Electric vehicles will be taking over in the next 20 years,” said Collins, who manages many of Seaport’s operations. And contractors who are certified are well-poised to benefit from Federal and State subsidies aiming to supercharge EV charging station installations.
There is an “EV snowball effect,” Collins says, where customers get residential charging stations and then install other alternative energy products, like solar panels.
Building a Sustainable Future at The Boston Common
Seaport also helps upgrade existing EV charging stations, for instance, they did make-ready work for CT 4000 charging stations at Boston’s central park. The upgrade to power sharing allows charging sites to maximize the number of ports they can deploy while still ensuring EV drivers get an adequate charge.
The ability to “add additional stations without upping the service size” is a harbinger for more EV upgrades - and opportunities - like this, Shane says.
Innovative Electric School Buses
Boston plans to replace its entire fleet of more than 700 school buses with electric vehicles by 2030, through Mayor Wu’s ambitious goal. This is starting with 20 buses for the upcoming school year.
Seaport is working with a firm called Island Fleet to test two EV charging stations for school buses in Boston's Beverly suburb.
EV charging stations will boom, reports say, and Shane adds that the current skyrocketing price of fuel will further explode the demand. By saving with differential pricing, drivers are enticed to switch to EVs–while also combating climate change.