PA Environment Digest Blog

Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Duquesne Light Expanding Public Electric Vehicle Charging Offerings In Allegheny, Beaver Counties

On May 31, Duquesne Light Company announced a new lineup of electric vehicle (EV) charging and fleet electrification programs to help local organizations save time and money on installing EV charging and transitioning to an electric fleet.

The programs are expected to significantly expand the number of public, workplace, multi-family and fleet charging stations in Allegheny and Beaver counties, making it even easier for area residents and commuters to transition to electric mobility.

“As part of our commitment to create a clean energy future for all in the Pittsburgh region, DLC is increasing opportunities for customers and communities to experience the many benefits of electric mobility while addressing one of our area’s largest sources of carbon emissions and air pollution — transportation,” said Brian Guzek, vice president of corporate strategy at DLC.

The company is encouraging commercial customers, including local businesses, organizations and governments, at eligible sites to take advantage of the new offerings:

-- Community Charging Program: Helps expand the availability of EV charging at public, workplace and multi-family properties. DLC will partner with eligible customers to design, construct and cover the costs to install electric charging make-ready infrastructure, typically from the power grid up to the charging station.

Participating customers will purchase and install the charging station units and may be eligible for related state funding, as well as a DLC rebate of up to 100% of the charging station cost if their project is located within an Environmental Justice Area and serves a disadvantaged community.

-- Electric Fleet Advisory Service: DLC will analyze participating customers’ fleet data and work closely with them to understand their fleet requirements while providing them with a no-cost, custom roadmap to fleet electrification, including vehicle acquisition recommendations, cost of ownership comparisons, environmental impact analysis and more.

-- Fleet Charging Program: For eligible customers that are already electrifying or are planning to electrify their fleets, DLC will design, construct and cover the costs to install electric charging make-ready infrastructure, typically from the power grid up to the charging station.

Participating customers will purchase and install the charging station units and may be eligible for related state funding and a DLC rebate of up to 50% of the charging station cost.

Equitable Access to Electric Mobility

DLC is also expanding its work with Port Authority of Allegheny County to support the installation and cover the cost of DC fast-charging (DCFC) stations for six new all-electric transit buses, ensuring that public transit riders can also experience the benefits of electric mobility.

In 2020, DLC installed the DCFC stations for Port Authority’s first two electric buses.

“As the cost of EVs continues to fall and options continue to expand, more people and companies are making the switch to electric,” said Sarah Olexsak, senior manager of transportation electrification at DLC. “We want to help our customers and the region safely prepare for an increase of EVs on the road and support a transition that equitably shares the health, economic and environmental benefits of electric mobility across the region and beyond.”

DLC’s efforts align with Pennsylvania's Electric Vehicle Roadmap, which aims to transform the state’s transportation system to provide significant benefits for the environment, economy and society.

More information about DLC's new EV programs can be found at Duquesne Light’s Electric Vehicles webpage.

NewsClips:

-- WESA: Pittsburgh Preparing For More Severe Flooding Due To 13% Increase In Rainfall In The Worst Storms Caused By Climate Change [Pittsburgh Stormwater Design Manual]

-- MCall Guest Essay: Lehigh University’s Solar Project Not A Bad Neighbor

-- MCall Guest Essay: Joining Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Puts PA On Greener Path - Molly Parzen, Conservation Voters Of PA

-- Scranton Times Editorial: PJM Connection Accelerates Addition Of Renewable Energy Generation At Competitive Prices To Grid

-- PPL Joins Climate READi Initiative Focusing On Strengthening Grid Resilience Against Extreme Weather Events

-- PUC Holding June 1 Collaborative With Installers Of Distributed Energy Generation Systems

-- The Hershey Company Releases 2021 ESG Report: 48% Reduction Of Greenhouse Gases Toward 2030 Goal Of 50%; Invested In 3 New Solar Farm Projects

[Posted: June 1, 2022] PA Environment Digest

PPL Joins Climate READi Initiative Focusing On Strengthening Grid Resilience Against Extreme Weather Events

On June 1, PPL Corporation announced it has joined Climate READi, a three-year initiative launched by the Electric Power Research Institute to address energy system climate resilience and adaptation as extreme weather events continue to increase.

"As we strive to address climate change and achieve a net-zero future, we've made significant progress in hardening our systems and deploying smart grid technology to make our energy networks more resilient to severe weather that may become more frequent with climate change," said Gregory Dudkin, chief operating officer of PPL Corporation.

"Joining EPRI's Climate READi Initiative will help us build on these efforts in Pennsylvania, Kentucky and now Rhode Island by providing valuable insights into future climate impacts, rather than relying on historical data. This climate modeling will help inform our adaptation, hardening and resilience investments to deliver long-term reliability for our customers."

Across its Pennsylvania and Kentucky operating companies, PPL has invested more than $20 billion over the past decade on infrastructure improvements, much of that focused on incorporating new technology and hardening transmission and distribution systems.

These improvements have reduced the number of outages our customers experience by an average of 35% over the past decade despite recent increases in storm activity and severity.

As PPL expands its operations to Rhode Island with the recent acquisition of The Narragansett Electric Company, now Rhode Island Energy, the corporation is focused on replicating this success.

Climate READi will enable global energy companies, climate scientists, regulators and other stakeholders to proactively analyze and apply climate data, allowing for the planning, design and operation of resilient energy systems of the future.

EPRI's collaborative model will convene the global thought leaders and scientific researchers necessary to build an informed and consistent approach. PPL is one of 13 anchor companies that have joined the initiative.

To learn more about this program, visit EPRI’s Climate READi webpage.