Duke Energy has launched $1 million EV Charging Infrastructure Support Project to help cities and towns develop public charging stations for North Carolina residents.
Under this project, Duke Energy will pay 100 percent up to $5,000 per charge port; $20,000 per site, or $50,000 per city under the program.
Upon successful completion of the project, Duke Energy hopes that the number of public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in North Carolina will jump 30 percent.
“Over the past decade, Duke Energy has supported the development of several hundred electric vehicle charging stations in North Carolina,” said David Fountain, Duke Energy’s North Carolina president, “Adoption of EVs depends on a robust infrastructure for consumers.”
A recent report from Advanced Energy, an independent, non-profit organization established by the North Carolina Utilities Commission, reveals there are about 4,700 registered plug-in EVs and about 700 public charging ports spread out around North Carolina.
“Today is a perfect time to begin thinking about and planning for electric vehicle charging,” said Dr. Robert Koger, president of Advanced Energy. “Duke Energy’s new program will give communities the opportunity to provide a new amenity for residents and visitors that also benefits the local economy and air quality.”
Another part of the project is an additional $500,000 devoted to cities and towns for the construction of electric bus charging stations. Again, Duke Energy will pay 100 percent for electric bus charging infrastructure up to $250,000 per entity.
The programs are targeted to cities and towns, which include both retail and wholesale customers. Deadline to apply is Sept. 1.
Rajani Baburajan
editor@greentechlead.com