Reid Joyce of Middlesex Township electrifies his Chevy Volt at the charging station at Succop Nature Park in Penn Township.Harold Aughton/Butler Eagle

Thanks to a state grant, motorists who drive electric or hybrid vehicles can enjoy Butler County's natural beauty while charging their cars, and the employees of two local companies can charge up while working.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection announced on Tuesday that 1,000 level-2 electric vehicle chargers have been installed across the state using “Driving PA Forward” grant funding.

Of Butler County's 16 chargers, half are accessible for free charging by the public.

Those chargers have been installed at the county's state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) parks, which are Moraine State Park, McConnell's Mill and Jennings Environmental Center, plus the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania's Succop Nature Park on Airport Road in Penn Township.

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The electrical vehicles charging station at Succop Nature Park in Penn Township.Harold Aughton/Butler Eagle

A Chevy Volt undergoing recharge at Succop Nature Park in Penn Township.