Southern California Edison’s Charge Ready program will bring representatives of local businesses and other organizations together on Wednesday in Irwindale to learn how they can take part in the pilot program that will add as many as 1,500 electric vehicle charging stations to SCE’s service area.
The $22-million Charge Ready pilot aims to get more electric vehicle charging stations installed at locations where cars are parked for extended periods — for example, at workplaces, apartment and condo complexes, fleet vehicle parking lots, campuses and recreational areas.
“We are excited to partner with employers, landlords, universities and other organizations to make it more convenient to charge electric vehicles in Southern California,” said Caroline Choi, SCE’s vice president for Energy and Environmental Policy. Under the Charge Ready program, participants, or site hosts, will own, operate and maintain electric vehicle charging stations, and SCE will install and maintain the supporting electrical infrastructure at no cost to participants.
As an additional incentive to participate, SCE will offer rebates to offset some or all of the cost of the charging stations and their installation, depending on the location and type of establishment. The program also calls for at least 10 percent of the charging stations to be installed in disadvantaged communities.
“What separates Charge Ready from other electric vehicle charging programs is that it encourages broad market participation, customer choice and technology innovation,” Choi said. “Participants will have the ability to select equipment suppliers and charging services based on their site’s needs.”
Charge Ready will also help support state environmental improvement goals and make better use of the power grid, she said. Additionally, the program provides funding for education and outreach to develop awareness about the benefits of driving electric vehicles and charging from the power grid.
At the pilot’s conclusion, SCE plans to seek authority from the California Public Utilities Commission to expand the program to about 30,000 charging stations.
The event will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday at SCE’s Energy Education Center, 6090 North Irwindale Ave., Irwindale. Parking is available in the center’s lot, which has eight EV chargers available for public use.
