Piedmont Electric awarded funding for Mebane electric vehicle charging station
A new electric vehicle (EV) charging station is coming to Mebane thanks to Piedmont Electric.
The station will be located at the Garrett Crossing shopping center off Interstate-40 and installation is expected to begin and be completed in 2021. The new station at the Garrett Crossing shopping center is a DC fast charger. DC fast chargers provide the quickest charge available and can charge a depleted electric vehicle’s battery to 80 percent capacity in less than 30 minutes.
“This charging station will help increase local commerce, reduce emissions and bring the benefits of driving electric to our community,” said Steve Hamlin, President and CEO of Piedmont Electric. “Our members are increasingly interested in the convenience, cost savings and environmental advantage of electric vehicles, and we are proud to support expansion of this technology by securing funding for this local project.”
Piedmont Electric was also awarded funding to install a DC fast charger at the Carrboro Plaza off Highway 54.
Piedmont Electric, an electric cooperative serving 32,000 members in Alamance, Caswell, Durham, Granville, Orange and Person counties, was awarded the funding as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s settlement with Volkswagen. In North Carolina, the Volkswagen funds were awarded and distributed by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.
Piedmont Electric’s support of electric vehicles is part of the co-op’s larger Brighter Futures initiative in which the local co-op has pledged to reduce carbon dioxide emissions 50 percent by 2030 and will have net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“Being a local cooperative, Piedmont Electric is concerned about more than just delivering affordable, reliable power. One of our core principles is to look out for the communities we serve,” Hamlin said. “To meet that principle, Piedmont Electric has set ambitious carbon reduction goals to make sure that we do our part to protect the environment and ensure our communities remain a good place to live, work and raise a family.”
Piedmont Electric Announces Carbon Reduction Goals
Piedmont Electric has announced expanded efforts to build a brighter future for local communities by setting ambitious carbon reduction goals. These efforts include a sustainability goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 that still preserves reliability and affordability of electricity.
As a local cooperative, Piedmont Electric is concerned about more than just delivering affordable, reliable power. One of their seven cooperative principles is to look out for the communities they serve to ensure they remain a good place to live, work and raise a family. Towards that principle, Piedmont Electric has set ambitious carbon reduction goals to do their part to protect the environment.
Piedmont Electric pledges to reduce carbon dioxide emissions 50 percent by 2030 and will have net zero carbon emissions by 2050. While Piedmont Electric does not own or operate power plants, the cooperative will work with its power providers to meet these goals.
Piedmont Electric has long been a supporter of renewable energy. The cooperative supports members who install their own solar, developed two community solar projects to enable all members to participate in renewable energy and has used the renewable energy provided by the Southeastern Power Administration’s hydropower projects for decades.
Additionally, the cooperative offers time-of-day rates that help support energy efficiency and load shifting among its membership to give members options in managing their bills while reducing the need for future power plants.
Other measures helping reduce the co-op’s carbon footprint include offering rebates and loans to members for energy efficient HVAC systems, system improvements which reduce the need for a vehicle to visit the location, advocating for public policy that advances innovation and a prepay system that supports energy efficiency.
The local cooperative has supported the growth of electric vehicles by installing charging stations, providing rebates and advantageous rates for members who charge their vehicles during times when energy demand is low. In 2021, a DC fast charger will be installed at the Garrett Crossing shopping center in Mebane and at the Carrboro Plaza thanks to funding awarded to Piedmont Electric as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s settlement with Volkswagen. Piedmont Electric is also integrating electric and hybrid vehicles into its fleet helping the co-op and its members reduce their carbon footprint further.
Piedmont Electric is a local, member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative serving more than 32,000 electric accounts in Alamance, Caswell, Durham, Granville, Orange and Person counties. Piedmont Electric exists to serve our members and improve the quality of life in our communities through local employment, economic development, business engagement, youth education, grants to educators, advocacy for energy issues, community involvement, broadband connectivity and emergency preparedness support.
Source : mebaneenterprise
