Dive Brief:
- Hoping to bolster the use of electric vehicles in its service territory, Public Service Electric and Gas Co. has completed a five-vehicle charging station at a New Jersey hospital, bringing to 25 the number of station's the utility owns around the state.
- It is the third time the utility and hospital have partnered on an energy project, with others including a 3.2-MW DC solar system and $5 million in efficiency investments.
- PSE&G officials say they are trying to address customes' "range anxiety," and have another 10 charging stations in development at two other sites. Its goal is to install 50 charging stations by the end of the year.
Dive Insight:
PSE&G is looking to increase the use of all-electric vehicles in its territory, but the most interesting thing about the utility's announcement last week may be the continued partnership with Saint Peter’s University Hospital. It is the third innovative energy project the two have tackled together, with other initatives including a 3.2-MW solar system and millions in efficiency investments.
“The lack of convenient charging stations remains an impediment that keeps potential EV drivers from going all electric,” Joe Forline, vice president-customer solutions at PSE&G, said in a statement. “By offering this pilot program and partnering with forward-thinking organizations like Saint Peter’s University Hospital we are doing our part to alleviate ‘range anxiety’ among current EV owners while also demonstrating to potential owners that EVs are a viable option in New Jersey.”
PSE&G's pilot currently has 25 EV charging stations in service at four customer locations around the state, including the new stations at Saint Peter’s University Hospital. There are 10 additional charging stations under construction at two other customer sites, and PSE&G said it is in discussions with several other customers with the goal of installing 50 individual charging stations at 10 customer locations by the end of this year.
In addition to adding charging locations, PSE&G said its pilot allows the utility to collect real-world data about how the chargers are used, allowing it to better understand the impact that large-scale EV charging could have on the electric grid.
“By analyzing this data we will know how people and organizations use these charging systems in real life, which will allow us to better plan for the future of EVs in New Jersey,” Forline said.
As part of the pilot, the hospital committed to immediately utilizing the five charging stations for staff members, and in return, PSE&G provided the EV charging equipment free-of-charge. The hospital paid for the installation of the units and will pay for ongoing maintenance and electricity costs.
“Saint Peter’s Healthcare System encourages the use of plug-in electric vehicles as a means of increasing our energy security, improving fuel economy, lowering fuel costs, and reducing emissions,” said Ronald Rak, CEO of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System. “The charging station enables us to fulfill those goals as a proud steward of a cleaner environment and better health.”