Oregon Utilities Hop On Electric Infrastructure Bandwagon
Remember how a while back, California’s biggest utilities were trying to build electric car charging networks? Well, now the two largest utility companies in Oregon, Portland General Electric and Pacific Power, are hopping on the electric bandwagon right behind their southern neighbors, filing plans to increase electric transportation in the state through building charging stations, boosting public education of electric vehicles, and buying electric buses.
More specifically, PGE plans to build six public chargers on its “Electric Avenue” in downtown Portland, each with up to four dual-standard chargers plus a Level 2 240V charge point. In addition, PGE will build and operating charging points for electric buses to be operated by transit agency TriMet.
Pacific Power also plans to build chargers, but more interestingly plans to reduce certain electric rates to make it less expensive for those who operate DC vehicle fast-chargers.
Plus, since Oregon is one of the states to have adopted California’s strict emissions rules, and has passed legislation to require its utilities to achieve 50% renewable-sourced energy by 2040 with zero coal power plants by 2030, electric vehicles using these stations will only get greener and greener as time goes on.
Oregon has long been at the forefront of the electric vehicle revolution along with its southern neighbor, making it one of the biggest markets in the US for EVs and the launch point, along with California, for the Chevrolet Bolt.
News Source: Green Car Reports
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