Dive Brief:
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) on Wednesday approved a settlement authorizing Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) to invest $166 million in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, though the utility will not install or own any chargers.
The six-year make-ready program is expected to support installation of 40,000 residential chargers, 3,500 commercial chargers, and 1,000 Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFC). PSE&G will upgrade its distribution system to support charger installation, and will pay for some customer installation costs.
PSE&G says the program will help grow transportation electrification, but environmental groups see a missed opportunity. This settlement does not match the scale and scope of investment needed to achieve New Jersey’s ambitious climate goals, Kathy Harris, clean vehicles and fuels advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in a statement.
NGT News
January 28, 2021
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities has approved a settlement that will enable PSE&G to develop electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in New Jersey. With this approval, the state’s largest utility is expected to invest $166 million over an expected six years and create about 270 direct clean energy jobs while helping to build out the state’s EV charging infrastructure.
PSE&G’s investments are designed to increase the availability of vehicle charging and ease range anxiety. Many drivers cite the lack of convenient charging options as the top reason they are reluctant to switch to EVs. Cars, trucks and buses are the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the state, and the New Jersey Energy Master Plan prioritizes electrifying the transportation sector as a key strategy to improve the state’s air quality and reduce health care costs.