Connecticut regulators have approved a plan to help build infrastructure across the state for charging electric cars and other electric vehicles.
The state’s public utility regulator said the nine-year program approved on Wednesday will incentivize the construction of fast-charging stations, home charging stations and charging stations in the workplace, both for people with electric cars and for companies with electric vehicle fleets.
The decision instructs the state’s two largest electric utilities, Eversource Energy and United Illuminating, to incentivize customers who install the necessary equipment.
These include discounts of up to $ 500 for homeowners who make electrical upgrades to enable home charging and up to $ 40,000 for apartment building, apartment building and business owners who install charging points. The program would also allocate up to $ 250,000 to create DC fast charging stations in the state.
Those who install the equipment in low-income and distressed communities would receive the greatest incentives, PURA said.
“We are committed to providing a nationwide charging program to our customers and are currently reviewing the details of the PURA announcement to ensure that all potential benefits to our customers are maximized,” said Mitch Gross, a spokesperson for Eversource.
PURA chairwoman Marissa Gillett said the program will help the state meet its long-term goals of getting more electric vehicles on the road and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Connecticut is part of a 10-state initiative signed in 2013 that aimed to get 3.3 million zero-emission vehicles on the roads and has passed legislation that pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030.
Governor Ned Lamont’s office said Connecticut currently has about 7,000 electric vehicles on its streets. The state will need around 125,000 to 150,000 electric vehicles by 2025 and 500,000 electric vehicles by 2030 to meet its emissions target, the government said.
“Today’s decision is a pivotal moment in Connecticut’s transition to a decarbonized economy,” Gillett said in a statement. “The new nationwide program capitalizes on the opportunities for tariff payers resulting from the electrification of our transportation sector as the program enables a proactive approach and seamless integration of new and emerging EV technologies into our state’s power grid.”
The plan also includes utilities developing a joint training and information plan to raise awareness and encourage customers to participate.
The program comes just weeks after Lamont announced that the state would increase subsidies for the purchase and leasing of electric vehicles. These state Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Automobile Purchase Rebate (CHEAPR) program discounts increase from $ 750 to $ 7,500, depending on the type of vehicle purchased. That’s between $ 500 and $ 5,000.
The state is also expanding this program to include the purchase of used electric vehicles.
