St. Mary’s Church in Baldwinsville Installs car-charging stations
By Eileen Jevis | Staff writer
St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Baldwinsville is located on a busy thoroughfare near the NYS Thruway and Route 690. When Deacon Joe Casper heard about a grant from New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to cover the costs of installing car-charging stations, he knew it was an opportunity for the parish to do its part to support clean-air initiatives.
With approval from the pastoral council, the trustees and the diocese, Casper applied for the grant and the parish received $74,000 in funding to install three car-charging stations in the parking lot. It is now the third car-charging location in Baldwinsville.
The stations, installed by National Grid, are projected to be fully operational by May 1 and will generate revenue of around $600 a month, which will offset the one-time expense of $3,000 to upgrade the electrical panel in the garage.
Pastoral associate Amy Casper is also the chairwoman and chief executive of Ephesus Technologies—a local company that builds and provides LED lighting for warehouses, factories, stadiums and more. Her husband—Deacon Joe—is president of the company. The Caspers’ business background heightens their commitment to environmentally friendly solutions.
According to USAFact.org, nearly 5.4 million hybrid electric vehicles and over 1.4 million plug-in electric vehicles have sold since they came on the market 20 years ago. In New York State, there are approximately 56,000 electric vehicles on the road. CNBC reported in 2021 that a survey showed that on average, approximately 52% of new-vehicle sales will be all-electric by 2030.
Amy Casper said the program is environmentally and ministerially forward thinking. “The initiative is an ideal way to bring people to our campus who may not be parishioners,” said Casper. “They can recharge their cars while recharging their spirit. It’s an ideal way to evangelize and a way to enhance programs and ministries at the parish as well as our academy.”
