Broad Coalition Submits Proposal to Deploy Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in San Diego
A diverse set of public interest groups, automakers, labor unions, electric vehicle (EV) charging companies, and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) submitted a proposed settlement this week to the California Public Utilities Commission to accelerate the deployment of smart electric vehicle charging stations that would support the utility grid in San Diego. If adopted by the Commission later this year, the program would make electricity a low cost, clean transportation fuel, available to more drivers, helping the state comply with federal air quality standards and achieve Governor Brown’s greenhouse gas emission reduction goals.
The negotiated settlement agreement would increase access to electric cars and trucks and leverage those clean vehicles to cost-effectively integrate wind and solar energy to the benefit of all utility customers. If adopted by the Commission, it would confirm California’s leadership in moving both the transportation sector and the electric industry to a future free of fossil fuels.
The program outlined in the settlement calls for SDG&E to install smart charging infrastructure at up to 550 multi-family housing sites and workplace locations throughout its service territory, with an average of ten chargers at each location for a total of 5,500 separate chargers. Customers would have a choice of rate options and equipment to ensure drivers charge in a manner that maximizes fuel cost savings and supports the electrical grid and to promote competition and market growth in the charging service industry.
