DEEP and DOT Announce Details of Major Electric Vehicle Charging Initiative

The cure for “range anxiety” in Connecticut is now in sight thanks to a new initiative from the State of Connecticut to provide financial incentives for private businesses and municipalities that are interested in installing publicly accessible electric vehicle charging stations.

Speaking at an Electric Vehicle (EV) Expo at Middlesex Community College, Commissioner Daniel C. Esty of the Connecticut Departments of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and Commissioner James P. Redeker of the Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) said the goal of the new program is to more than double the 81 publicly available charging stations in the state to 200 by the end of 2013.

Esty and Redeker said $200,000 in funding for the installation of electric vehicle charging stations will be awarded to proposals that provide the most matching funding from the project host site, are most accessible to the general public, and deploy charging stations in geographically diverse areas.

Businesses and municipalities that are interested in participating in the EV Incentives program should send an email indicating interest to EVConnecticut@ct.gov . They can also find more information by visiting the EVConnecticut website at www.ct.gov/deep/evconnecticut .

“Encouraging the use of alternative vehicles and alternative fuels is a key element of Governor Malloy’s energy strategy,” Commissioner Esty said. “Electric vehicles run cleaner and are less harmful to the environment, and they are also more energy efficient and on average cheaper to operate than conventional fuel vehicles. Expanding the number of charging stations available to the public will help decrease motorists’ concerns about running out of power in their electric vehicles (“range anxiety”) and result in increasing sales of EVs.”

DOT Commissioner James P. Redeker said,“The transportation sector accounts for nearly one-third of the energy consumed in Connecticut and produces roughly 40% of the state’s greenhouse emissions. The Governor’s Comprehensive Energy Strategy supports the deployment of electric vehicle charging stations to help speed the transition to electric vehicles for Connecticut residents and businesses.”

EVConnecticut is preparing Connecticut for a rapid and seamless integration of electric vehicles into the market by providing resources and information to owners of EVs and by expanding the availability of EV charging stations. The state is working to identify and catalogue all existing public electric vehicle charging stations open in Connecticut and will now be providing incentives to municipalities and private businesses for installation of additional charging stations.

A recent federal Department of Energy study shows that cost of operating an electric vehicle in Connecticut is around the equivalent of being able to access $1.70/gallon gasoline. By aggressively increasing the number of charging stations, the new state initiative will make it easier than ever to purchase, drive, and maintain an electric vehicle.

At yesterday’s EVConnecticut Expo, visitors had the opportunity to:

• Explore the newest EV models on the market
• Meet with EV professionals and other EV enthusiasts
• Have all of their EV questions answered in one place
• Compare different EV charging stations
• Lean about Connecticut’s plans for significantly expanding the number of EV charging stations in the state

For information on additional ways Connecticut residents can make smart energy choices, visit the EnergizeCT website.