PG&E Helping Customers Transition to
Electric Vehicles, Preparing the Grid & Advancing EV Technology
to Support a Clean Energy Future
OAKLAND,
Calif., Sept. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In
recognition of National Drive Electric Week (Sept. 27 - Oct. 6, 2024), Pacific Gas and
Electric Company (PG&E) is highlighting the many ways it is
helping to make electric vehicle (EV) ownership more affordable for
customers. PG&E is also preparing the grid and increasing
access to charging infrastructure, while partnering with the
automotive industry to advance technology that will enable EVs to
support California's clean energy
future.
PG&E is prioritizing grid readiness and building grid
capacity to accommodate new EV demand through a multiyear grid
investment plan. The company is partnering with innovators across
the EV industry to build the large-scale electric infrastructure
needed to incorporate EV charging systems into the grid, including
deploying chargers to support customers, planning to fund programs
for underserved communities, and providing personalized
solutions.
Residential Customer Programs and Incentives
PG&E's Pre-Owned EV Rebate Program provides
income-qualified customers with up to $4,000 when buying or leasing a used EV. In just
over a year-and-a-half since the program's launch, PG&E has
distributed more than 6,900 rebate payments, and more than
$60 million in funding is still
available. The rebate will be available through 2026 or until
funding runs out.
"We serve a diverse population and want to ensure all of our
customers have the resources they need to make EV ownership an
attainable goal," said Lydia Krefta,
Director, Clean Energy Transportation for PG&E. "The Pre-Owned
EV Rebate Program is a great resource that has already helped many
of our underserved customers transition to electric vehicles, and
we offer a number of other programs and incentives designed to help
accelerate EV adoption for our residential and commercial
customers."
PG&E offers a variety of tools, rebates and resources that
are available to customers in multiple languages. Customers are
invited to check out PG&E's EV Savings Calculator, an
online resource to browse vehicles, discover incentives, locate
charging stations and more. PG&E also offers an EV Rate
Comparison tool to help customers find the best rate plan for
them. Other programs/incentives include:
- Empower EV program offers income-eligible customers up to
$2,500 in incentives to help cover
the cost of installing EV-charging equipment at their single-family
residences. PG&E provides a free Level 2 charger, valued at
$500, to customers who meet
eligibility requirements and covers up to $2,000 per eligible household for panel upgrades
completed by the program's approved electrician. Eligible customers
are encouraged to enroll in the program before it closes at the end
of 2024.
- Multifamily Housing and Small Business EV Charger Program
installs Level 1 and Level 2 EV chargers at multifamily housing
units, nonprofit organizations and small businesses in select
communities. For qualified customers, the charging units are
installed at no cost to property owners and the program covers two
years of networking and software fees. Priority communities include
low-income, rural, tribal and other priority populations defined by
the California Public Utilities Commission and California Air
Resources Board.
- Residential Charging Solutions pilot provides income-qualified
customers with a $700 post-purchase
rebate on approved Level 2 residential charging equipment that can
utilize existing 240-volt outlets and eliminate the need for costly
electrical upgrades.
- Customers can reduce the total cost of EV ownership through
innovative rate structures, like PG&E's Electric Home Rate Plan
for residential customers.
Programs for Businesses, Communities and Schools
This year, PG&E's EV Fleet Program helped to electrify
the Oakland Unified School District's (OUSD) fleet of electric
school busses, becoming the first major school district in the
nation to deploy a fully electric fleet of busses. OUSD's EV bus
fleet, converted to electric by Zum, is equipped with
groundbreaking vehicle-to-grid technology that enables the buses to
return energy to the grid at scale when not in use.
The EV Fleet Program, which is also partnering with the
Angel Island-Tiberon Ferry Company to support the electrification
of The Angel Island vessel, helps customers with medium- and
heavy-duty vehicles in their fleets to install cost-effective
charging infrastructure to save money, reduce tailpipe emissions
and simplify maintenance.
In addition to working with businesses and schools to help them
power up their existing and future EVs, PG&E is helping to
expand public charging access throughout its service area.
- Through its EV Fast Charge Program, PG&E is funding and
installing infrastructure at qualifying customer sites to support
the expansion of publicly available fast charging stations for
light-duty vehicles.
- PG&E's EV Charge Schools Pilot is installing level 2
charging stations at school facilities and educational institutions
for staff, parents and students to charge their EVs. PG&E helps
fund the costs of purchasing and installing the EV charging
equipment and networking fees at participating schools, as well as
ongoing maintenance and operations.
Coming soon, PG&E will launch its fleet advisory services
program aimed at providing comprehensive support to medium- and
heavy-duty fleet operators to transition to electric vehicles.
Advancing EV Technology
Currently, one in eight electric vehicles in the nation plug
into PG&E's grid, representing over 600,000 EVs with a combined
battery storage capacity (6 GW) almost three times more than the
Diablo Canyon Power Plant's generation capacity. That battery
storage capacity will increase significantly as EV adoption grows
in the decades ahead. PG&E is preparing the grid to quickly and
safely power at least 3 million EVs by 2030, and is collaborating
to pioneer technology that can harness clean energy from solar and
wind generation to help power the electric grid and offset a
portion of the 70% load growth projected over the next 20
years.
"EVs are front and center in California's exciting energy transformation.
We are working closely with automakers and some of the world's top
innovators to advance technology that will allow EV batteries to
serve as a grid resource to support peak electricity demand periods
and decarbonize the economy at the lowest societal cost," said
Jason Glickman, PG&E Executive
Vice President, Engineering, Planning & Strategy.
PG&E is collaborating with BMW of North America, Ford Motor Company and
General Motors to test cutting-edge vehicle-grid-integration
(VGI) applications, and is executing the nation's first large-scale
bidirectional charging pilots which are testing multiple
technologies to enable a wide range of services and study the
cost-effectiveness of VGI. The bidirectional charging pilots offer
upfront and ongoing participation-based incentives and provide
higher upfront incentives to help reduce the affordability barrier
for underserved communities.
Leading by Example
PG&E has committed to electrify its vehicle fleet in
compliance with California's Advanced Clean
Fleets regulation with the goal to electrify 3,800 vehicles in
its fleet by 2030.
"This is an exciting transition and an outstanding opportunity
for us to lead by example. New EVs in our fleet help us better
serve our planet and provide significant cost savings for our
customers over time," said Glickman.
Currently, approximately 11% of PG&E's fleet of roughly
9,200 on-road vehicles are powered by alternative fuels including
electricity.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric
utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square
miles in Northern and Central
California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/
and http://www.pge.com/about/newsroom/.
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SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company