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Incentives for electric vehicle use
Chugach Electric is offering rebates for residential and commercial customers who install electric vehicle charging systems Alan Bailey for Petroleum News
Anchorage-based utility Chugach Electric Association is offering incentives to promote the use of electric vehicles in Alaska. Essentially, the incentives consist of rebates paid to customers who install electric vehicle charging equipment. The utility says that, in addition to encouraging electric vehicle use, the incentive program will help build an understanding of the use of the vehicles in the state and of the impacts of vehicle charging on the electricity grid. Information gained from the program may also help in the design of electricity rate options for electric vehicle charging, the utility says.
Under the incentive scheme residential customers can obtain a $200 credit for each 240-volt electric vehicle charger installed. Chugach Electric will grant up to 50 credits. The utility has also budgeted for up to 10 credits for higher voltage “level 2” chargers, installed by commercial customers. Up to three hotels in 2020 can be reimbursed for up to $2,500 in costs for the installation of charging equipment available to guests. There is a similar incentive program for car rental companies, with future possibilities for the expansion of this program.
Electricity is generally cheaper than liquid hydrocarbon fuels for powering road vehicles. In addition, electric vehicles, with having relatively few moving parts, are generally relatively cheap to maintain. And, depending on how the electricity is generated, the use of electric vehicles creates low levels of emissions.
Growing Alaska use In Alaska the use of electric vehicles has been growing, albeit from a low level - Chugach Electric says that at the end of June nearly 1,200 electric vehicles were registered in the state, more than half of them registered in the Railbelt.
However, concerns about the mileage range of the vehicles and the availability of charging stations have been obstacles to more widespread use. Chugach Electric says that the increased use of the vehicles would expand the electricity load, thus spreading the fixed costs of the electrical system across more electricity sales and hence lowering the unit cost of electricity.
Under an electric vehicle research program initiated in 2019 Chugach Electric is helping commercial customers install publicly available charging stations in exchange for information about charging station usage. To date charging stations have been installed at Alyeska Resort in Girdwood and at a south Anchorage mall. There is a plan to install two other charging stations in Anchorage later this year.
The Alaska Energy Authority is also interested in the potential for increased electric vehicle use. The agency formed a working group for monitoring the charging infrastructure in the state and for channeling funds for charging station installation at state facilities. The agency is also planning to use money from the settlement with Volkswagen over false emissions testing from the company’s diesel vehicles to help fund a commercial grade charging station infrastructure in the state.
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