Installing Nearly 5,000 Electric Vehicle Charging Ports, PG&E Drives More Clean Transportation Access Across Northern and Central California

By: Pacific Gas and Electric Company via Business Wire

October 13, 2021 at 11:29 AM EDT

Chargers Located at Condominiums, Apartments and Workplaces in 66 Cities from Eureka to Bakersfield

PG&E Program Increases Access to EV Charging, Including in Disadvantaged Communities

Today, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced it has installed 4,827 Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) charging ports at customer sites across Northern and Central California since 2018.

Through its first EV charging infrastructure program—EV Charge Network—PG&E partnered with businesses at 192 locations and with 11 EV charging companies throughout its service area including in Bakersfield, Chico, Fresno, Grass Valley, Red Bluff and San Jose. Through September 2021, PG&E has enabled charging for 5.5 gigawatt-hours of electricity, equivalent to over 1,400 traditional cars being taken off the road for a year.

Through the EV Charge Network program, PG&E paid for and built the necessary electrical infrastructure from the electric grid to the parking space at each customer site. Additionally, PG&E offset a portion or all of the cost of the actual charger for all participating customers, based on the site and location. With 39% of the new chargers—or 1,859 charging ports—located in disadvantaged communities, PG&E helped to bring EV charging options to customers who might not have had them before.

“PG&E’s program has helped lead to the rapid adoption of electric vehicles for our residents here at Wolf Creek Lodge. We are proud to be among those setting the pace in Grass Valley for electric vehicle use and the resulting reduction in carbon emissions,” said Bob Miller, EV project lead at Wolf Creek Lodge, where PG&E installed 30 EV charging ports through the EV Charge Network program. Wolf Creek Lodge is a cohousing community where members aim to be very good neighbors to one another and practice an environmentally sustainable lifestyle.

Accelerating Clean Transportation in California

Increasing EV adoption is a critical component to making California’s clean air future a reality as transportation is the single largest source of greenhouse-gas emissions in California, contributing about 40%. The state aims to have 100 percent of California sales of new passenger cars and trucks be zero-emission by 2035.

The electricity fueling EVs in California comes from one of the cleanest energy mixes in the country—about 85 percent of the electricity PG&E delivers to customers is from greenhouse gas-free resources.

While EV adoption continues to grow in California, the lack of available places to charge remains one of the biggest barriers. PG&E’s EV Charge Network supports the adoption of EVs by increasing access to charging in locations where it has traditionally been limited and where cars often sit for longer periods of time, like workplaces, apartment buildings and condominiums.

“Expanding the use of electric vehicles is essential for California to achieve its bold climate and clean-air goals. PG&E is thrilled to bring EV access to more customers through our first EV charging infrastructure program and we will continue to be an active partner in helping make EVs an option for millions of Californians. Reducing vehicle emissions is good for our state and good for the environment,” said PG&E’s Laurie Giammona, senior vice president of Customer Care.

PG&E’s Additional EV Charging Efforts

EV Fleet program: Aims to install or rebate make-ready electrical infrastructure at 700 sites by 2024 to support the adoption of 6,500 medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles.
EV Fast Charge program for public fast chargers: Complements state and privately funded initiatives and aims to install more than 50 plazas for DC fast charging in highway corridor and urban sites. Earlier this year, PG&E installed four fast chargers at its first site at 7-Eleven in West Sacramento, Calif.
Special rates, rebates and tools: PG&E has electric rate plans tailored for customers who drive EVs and offers tools such as PG&E’s EV Savings Calculator and Fleet Calculator (ev.pge.com and fleets.pge.com) to help customers understand costs when adopting an EV.

For more information, visit pge.com/ev.

About PG&E

PG&E, 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 pge.com and pge.com/news.