SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today announced it will conduct
an electric vehicle (EV) pilot with San
Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD) to help prepare the agency
for its long-term electric transportation needs.
With San Joaquin RTD, PG&E will test how smart charging and battery
storage can lower operating costs and maximize efficiencies for the
agency. PG&E will test, analyze and compare the economics for charging
at various times of the day using different models with and without
battery storage. As part of the pilot, PG&E will fund up to five new
electric bus chargers and a battery energy storage system, and will fund
and build the infrastructure from the electric grid to the chargers and
storage system.
San Joaquin RTD has taken a lead in electric transportation and already
has electric buses in its fleet. This pilot aligns with San Joaquin
RTD’s goal of being powered by 100 percent EVs by 2025.
The pilot will be a test case for PG&E’s new FleetReady program, recently
approved by the California Public Utilities Commission. Through the
program, PG&E will fund and aid installation of the infrastructure from
the electric grid to the charger for customers with medium-duty,
heavy-duty and off-road fleets such as transit agencies, school
districts and delivery fleets.
“There is a huge opportunity for electric transportation in California
in the medium- to heavy-duty space. Through this pilot, we will test
capabilities to make electric vehicles more viable for transit agencies
while helping to connect underserved communities and make clean energy
transportation options more accessible,” said Roy Kuga, vice president
of Grid Integration & Innovation at PG&E.
Reducing Greenhouse-Gas Emissions and Improving Air Quality
In California, transportation across passenger vehicles and medium- or
heavy-duty fleet vehicles is the single largest contributor to greenhouse-gas
emissions at nearly 40 percent. Expanding access to EVs is essential
to improving air quality and reducing greenhouse-gas emissions in the
state. Through new projects like this pilot, PG&E will support
widespread EV adoption and help drivers and companies become more
confident in using electricity to power vehicles.
The focus on electric transportation for medium- to heavy-duty vehicles,
such as transit buses, helps to address air pollution. While the
electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicle market is still emerging,
electric buses are a viable option and early adopters in the public
transportation space have started to purchase them for their fleets.
However, transitioning to electric transportation can be complex and
requires careful planning. PG&E expects the pilot with San Joaquin RTD
to provide learnings to other utilities and transit agencies interested
in making the switch.
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/20180621005320/en/
Source: PG&E Corporation