For Immediate Release: 2/14/2012 1:11 pm
Worcester, MA (February 14, 2012) - National Grid today announced it is currently installing more than 30 new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations throughout the Commonwealth under Coulomb Technologies' "Charge America" program.
The announcement was made during a community event held at the Hanover Mall, where two of the new EV charging stations were officially opened. National Grid expects to complete installation of the remaining stations by the end of this month.
"National Grid is proud to be part of this program, which helps consumers embrace EVs as an emerging form of transportation," said Edward White, vice president, Customer Strategy for National Grid. "Today's announcement is a demonstration of our investment in technologies that will help modernize the region's electricity system, while offering our customers more sustainable energy options that help to protect our environment."
Through the "Charge America" program, Coulomb Technologies, Inc. is providing the charging stations at no cost to participating cities. National Grid is funding the station installations and the hosting location partners (for example, the Hanover Mall) will fund the cost of power to charge the vehicles.
National Grid will complete installations of the new charging stations at several host locations, including The Hanover Mall, the City of Worcester, the Town of Rockland, Quinsigamond Community College of Worcester, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and select 99 Restaurants and Chili's restaurants.
"Charge America" is a program sponsored by Coulomb Technologies to provide electric vehicle charging infrastructure to 10 selected regions in the United States, including Massachusetts. The program is intended to foster the adoption and readiness of EVs throughout the United States and will include a thorough study of driving patterns, community impact and impact on regional power grids. Its ultimate objective is to accelerate the development and production of electric vehicles to substantially reduce petroleum consumption, reduce greenhouse gas production, and create jobs.
This latest effort in Massachusetts is in addition to the Department of Energy Resources' (DOER) current plans to install EV charging stations across the state. Massachusetts currently has approximately 50 EV stations. The addition of these 30 new stations nearly doubles the charging locations currently available to Massachusetts EV drivers.
For more information about National Grid's electric vehicle charging station program, visit https://www.powerofaction.com/PEV/.
National Grid
National Grid (LSE: NG; NYSE:NGG) is an electricity and gas company that connects consumers to energy sources through its networks. The company is at the heart of one of the greatest challenges facing our society - to create new, sustainable energy solutions for the future and developing an energy system that underpins economic prosperity in the 21st century. National Grid holds a vital position at the center of the energy system and it 'joins everything up'.
In the northeast US, we connect more than seven million gas and electric customers to vital energy sources, essential for our modern lifestyles. In Great Britain, we run the gas and electricity systems that our society is built on, delivering gas and electricity across the country.
National Grid delivers electricity to approximately 3.3 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island. It manages the electricity network on Long Island under an agreement with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), and owns over 4,000 megawatts of contracted electricity generation, providing power to over one million LIPA customers. It is the largest distributor of natural gas in northeastern U.S., serving approximately 3.4 million customers in New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.
For more information please visit our website http://www.nationalgridus.com.
