Fuel distributor, Dennis K. Burke, Inc., held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at their Chelsea headquarters, celebrating the debut of the first Electric Vehicle (EV) charging station in the city. The charger is powered by a 50 kw solar panel array installed on the company's rooftop.
Burke Oil president, Ted Burke, and chairman, Ed Burke, hosted the event. Several state and local officials, as well as "green" industry friends attended. Following the ceremony, Liberty Chevrolet of Wakefield provided "test drives" in a Chevy Volt for interested guests.
"We're so proud of what continues to happen at D. K. Burke," noted Chelsea City Manager Jay Ash. "They've installed the city's first electric car charging station. They were also the first business in our community to install solar panels, and the first in the state to offer biofuels at the pump, among many other firsts. It's great to see how they value their role as environmental stewards."
"On behalf of the Governor Patrick administration, we're thrilled to have this opportunity to applaud Ed, also known as 'the Godfather of Biodiesel' and his crew," remarked Director of Massachusetts Green Communities Division, Meg Lusardi. "They are leading the way with biofuels, they've installed solar pv on their roof, and now this electric car charging station. They are leading by example in the state's clean energy revolution."
"Massachusetts is leading the charge in alternative transportation. We're running biodiesel in our state fleet, over 15% of the state's light fleet is hybrid, we have 22 CNG fill stations, and running about 300 CNG buses," explains Massachusetts Clean Cities Coordinator Steve Russell. "I've known Ed for many years in my earlier position as a municipal fleet manager running biodiesel in New Hampshire," adds Russell. "He's always there to answer a question or help."
Burke's chairman, Ed Burke, points out "I'm an oil guy, but I'm for any energy source that's American and helps our domestic economic development here, instead of sending jobs and dollars overseas."
Well established in the biofuels industry, Dennis K. Burke, Inc. is one of New England's largest suppliers of diesel fuel, gasoline and motor oil products. This year, the family-owned business is celebrating 50 years of reliable service.