SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today announced it received
approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to
develop two new, five-year programs aimed at accelerating widespread
electric vehicle (EV) adoption and combating climate change.
The new programs will increase fast charging options for consumers as
well as electric charging infrastructure for non-light-duty fleet
vehicles. PG&E will pay for and aid installation of the infrastructure
from the electric grid to the charger. Through these new programs, PG&E
expands its initiatives to help customers reduce emissions related to
transportation, which is the single largest contributor to greenhouse-gas
emissions in the state.
“California continues to lead the nation in the fight against climate
change, and transforming our transportation sector is critical to these
efforts. Through these new programs, PG&E demonstrates our continued
commitment to help California meet its climate and clean air goals while
making it more convenient for consumers, public agencies and businesses
to choose clean, affordable electricity to fuel their vehicles,” said
Geisha Williams, CEO and President of PG&E Corporation.
Increasing Fast Charging in California
Responding to consumer demand, PG&E's Fast Charge Program will pay for
and build the infrastructure from the electric grid to the charging
equipment for public fast chargers, complementing state and
privately-funded initiatives. Twenty-five percent of the fast chargers
will be located in disadvantaged communities. Additionally, PG&E will
offer a significant rebate towards the purchase of fast chargers for
customers based in those areas.
Public fast charging is critical to increasing EV adoption as it builds
driver confidence in their ability to charge away from home and provides
access to drivers who do not have residential charging. Fast chargers
can refuel an EV in 20-30 minutes, compared to level 2 chargers that
fuel a car in several hours. However, fast charging infrastructure has
been slower to develop due to the high costs and complexity of
installations. This year, California Governor Jerry Brown set a target
of installing 10,000 fast charging stations statewide by 2030, a tenfold
increase over current levels.
Expanding Electrification to New Sectors
To address air pollution issues impacted by diesel use in the state,
PG&E will launch a new program for customers with medium-duty,
heavy-duty and off-road fleets. Through the FleetReady program, PG&E
will pay for and help customers install the electric infrastructure from
the grid to the charging equipment at fleet customer sites. PG&E will
partner with school districts, transit agencies, delivery fleets and
other business customers, which often rely on diesel for their fleets,
which is a highly polluting fuel.
As electric infrastructure is often the biggest expense related to
installing an EV charger, this program aims to encourage business
customers in PG&E’s service area to invest in EV fleets. PG&E will
dedicate 25 percent of the program budget to investments in
disadvantaged communities and offer additional incentives for those
sites, and for school and transit bus fleets that serve the general
public.
Ongoing Support for EV Adoption
With the Clean
Energy & Pollution Reduction Act (Senate Bill 350) signed into
law on October 7, 2015, the California legislature recognized the role
of energy companies in developing necessary EV infrastructure to help
the state meet climate and clean-air goals.
Through its EV
Charge Network program, PG&E aims to help accelerate the adoption of
EVs in California by increasing access to charging. Partnering with
business customers and EV charging companies, PG&E will install 7,500 EV
chargers at condominiums, apartment buildings and workplaces across
Northern and Central California, including at sites in disadvantaged
communities. By the end of 2018, PG&E expects to have 1,400 chargers
installed at customer sites.
Committed to increasing adoption of clean vehicles in the state, PG&E
continues its efforts to make it easier for customers to make the switch
to EVs. On PG&E's residential
EV rate plans, customers pay the equivalent of $1.20 per gallon to
charge their vehicle overnight. Customers can learn more about EVs by
viewing PG&E’s
online resources and get help determining which rate plan makes
sense for them.
EV drivers who are PG&E residential electric customers can apply for the Clean
Fuel Rebate, a one-time rebate of $500 rewarding them for using
electricity as a clean transportation fuel. Additionally, PG&E customers
can save $10,000 on the purchase
of a new 2018 BMW i3 or i3s EV through July 31, 2018. PG&E customers
can also save $3,000 on the purchase
of a new 2018 Nissan LEAF EV through July 2, 2018.
To learn more about other options for EV drivers, visit pge.com/ev.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas
and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San
Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of
the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and
Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/
and www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/index.page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180605005566/en/
Source: Pacific Gas and Electric Company