In a filing with the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) on March 29, Duke Energy outlined a program that will provide incentives to customers that will lead to a statewide network of fast-charging stations to meet growing demand. The three-year program requires NCUC approval.
Besides the addition of 2,500 charging stations, the investment will fund the adoption of electric school buses and public transportation. North Carolina already has over 10,000 plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles and 600 charging stations.
“North Carolina deserves a cleaner and smarter energy future, and supporting the use of electric transportation is a Duke Energy priority that will benefit our communities, customers and our state’s future,” said Lang Reynolds, Duke Energy’s director of Electrification Strategy, according to Market Watch. “This initiative will help accelerate public and private EV use while also reducing carbon emissions.”
For residential EV charging, Duke will provide a $1,000 rebate for qualifying Level II charging stations for up to 800 residential customers. A Level II charger allows for customers to recharge their EVs six-times faster than a regular wall outlet.
Duke also plans to install and operate over 800 public charging stations across the state. These will include DC Fast Charging, Public Level II and multifamily locations. And Duke has not forgotten fleet level charging.
Duke’s program will provide a $2,500 rebate for 900 qualifying charging stations for commercial and industrial customers who operate fleets that are transitioning to electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. This program also includes municipalities and universities.
Duke will also provide financial support for eligible customers to procure 85 electric school buses as well as install the charging infrastructure needed. The company will also install and operate 100 transit bus charging stations as part of its mission to reduce the emissions from diesel fumes.
All this comes about as automakers worldwide prepare to spend $255 billion through 2023 on developing battery-powered vehicles in response to lowering emissions, according to Bloomberg.
In related news, Duke Energy also plans to add more renewable energy in Florida. The company will build three new solar plants in generating a combined 195 MW of power. Duke has filed a request with the Florida Public Service Commission to recover the estimated investment costs associated with the three projects.
The plans include a 74.9 MW facility in Gilchrist County, a 45 MW facility in Highlands County and a 74.5 MW facility in Volusia County, with a total cost of $252 million.
