‘We Have To Help Ourselves’: Why Rural Winfield, Kansas, Is Taking Charge Of Its Energy Future
Electric cars aren’t a common sight in rural Kansas — yet. But the town of Winfield — population 12,000, about 45 minutes southeast of Wichita — knows that will inevitably change. “We’re going to see the electrification of vehicles across the country,” said City Manager Taggart Wall. “So how do we stay on the leading edge of that and learn as the industry grows, rather than try to be retroactive and catch up?” Last year, the city began offering $1,500 rebates to residents who installed charging stations in their homes. And earlier this month, Winfield cut the ribbon on its first public charging station, situated in front of Shindig’s Bar and Grill downtown. It’s a “destination location,” says Mayor Phil Jarvis. “A lot of people will drive here from Wichita or other places to eat at Shindig’s,” he said. “So we thought, ‘Well, we’ll try here.’ It’s on a major highway going through town, and just to see how much it’s used. “We really don’t know at this point.”
Source: KMUW
