Brookhaven, GA — The City of Brookhaven was awarded the Electric Vehicle Association’s 2023 City of the Year Award on Jan. 27 for its initiatives that encouraged the adoption of electric vehicles throughout the city.

The Electric Vehicle Association is a volunteer organization that educates and advocates for the rapid adoption of electric vehicles, according to a press release.

“In 2016, the City did not have any EV charging stations. Now we have them all over the place. They are in our parks, our public safety buildings, and even City Hall,” said former Mayor John Ernst, who accepted the award on the city’s behalf.

With 19 free chargers located throughout the city, Brookhaven has continued its efforts as a part of its Sustainable Brookhaven initiative. That includes tracking the usage of the public chargers and how each charging session benefits the environment.

Funding was budgeted in 2023 to purchase 15 hybrid or electric vehicles for the police department, one electric car within the city manager’s office, two hybrid or electric vehicles within the community development department, and an electric truck for the parks and recreation department.

In 2019, Brookhaven passed an ordinance that requires all commercial developments and multifamily housing complexes to provide electric vehicle chargers, while any new single-family homes must have wiring installed to accommodate electric vehicles.

Brookhaven continues to provide services for its residents to encourage the usage of EVs as part of the Sustainable Brookhaven framework.

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