Erika Bailey-Johnson is one of Nissan’s newest LEAF owners.

The Bemidji resident purchased the electric-only vehicle a few weeks ago, but she’s been a hybrid owner for the last decade. Her previous vehicle was a Toyota Prius.

“I felt good about having a fuel-efficient vehicle, and now the LEAF takes it one step further,” she said.

Bailey-Johnson is one of around 550 green energy leaders attending the Clean Energy Resource Teams 2015 Conference. The two-day event, which started Tuesday, hosts breakout sessions to share developments in renewable energy projects around the state. Workshops also provide techniques to plan, fund and initiate new projects.

Bailey-Johnson works as a sustainability director for Bemidji State University. She participated in a panel discussion on electric vehicles and charging infrastructure.

Erika Bailey-Johnson (Photo: David Brakke, dbrakke@stcloudtimes.com)

“We really have no (charging) infrastructure in the northern part of the state yet,” she said. “I was curious about that, but also I wanted to attend because I get to meet a lot of great people doing a lot of good work around Minnesota.”

The U.S. Department of Energy lists around two dozen publicly accessible charging stations in northern Minnesota — the majority of which are in the Duluth area. One is listed at Miller Nissan in St. Cloud. However, Minnesota Plug-in Vehicle Owners Circle founder Jukka Kukkonen says most electric motorists typically charge their vehicles at home.

“My wife drives 15 miles one way to work and 15 back,” he said. “She doesn’t need to do anything more than plug it in when she comes home. In the morning, it’s always full for her.”

Minnesota electric vehicle charging station locations as identified by the U.S. Department of Energy. (Photo: U.S. Department of Energy)

Kukkonen says charging an electric vehicle is simply a matter of inserting a cable into a standard wall outlet, though options do exist to have a utility company install a fast-charge station in a home.

“You’re monthly cost is low,” he said. “Many of these vehicles you can lease for less than $300 a month, and then the electricity costs are about $30 a month.”

In addition to his circle activities, Kukkonen is the founder of PlugInConnect, a business that assists other organizations with electric vehicle infrastructure. He says commercial fast-charging stations are considered a service to many, but says businesses should consider their potential. Using a gas station as an example, he says many such businesses make the bulk of their profits on in-store purchases.

“If they have a charging station that leads to people spending 15 minutes at their gas station, it might be more profitable for them than selling gas,” he said.

Follow David Brakke on Twitter @DBrakke_SCT or reach him by phone at 428-1404.