Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), has launched EV Driven, a new four-year program that provides incentives for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.
“New Jersey is a national leader in clean energy and electric vehicle adoption, and the EV Driven program helps our customers build the charging backbone necessary to reach our state’s goal of registering 330,000 electric vehicles by 2025,” comments James Fakult, president of JCP&L. “We’re excited to support New Jersey’s efforts to expand the charging station network as we continue providing safe, reliable and affordable service to our customers.”
The $39.8 million program – recently approved by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) – will benefit the state’s environment by reducing auto emissions. has three components including residential charging, mixed-use commercial and multifamily property charging, and public-access DC Fast charging.
Residential charging provides up to $1,500 in incentives for customer electrical upgrades necessary for the installation of up to 2,000 qualified Level Two EV chargers in JCP&L’s service area. Qualified residential customers may also be eligible for up to $5,500 in utility upgrades, such as new poles, transformers and service wires, required to support the chargers. Additionally, bill credit incentives may be available to encourage off-peak-hours charging.
The mixed-use commercial and multifamily property charging program provides up to $6,700 per qualified Level Two charger for up to 500 public-access ports, and up to $5,000 per port for a maximum of 100 ports dedicated to workplace use across JCP&L’s service territory. Multifamily property owners also can qualify for off-peak charging credits as well as incentives of up to $8,375 per qualified Level Two charger for up to 150 ports in state-designated overburdened communities within JCP&L’s service territory, and up to $6,700 per smart charging port for up to 150 ports in non-overburdened communities in JCP&L’s service territory. The mixed-use commercial and multifamily property component also covers the costs of utility upgrades at qualifying locations.
Public-access DC Fast charging provides incentives of up to $25,000 per DC fast charger port for up to 248 charging locations accessible to the public across JCP&L’s service territory. Additionally, JCP&L will install new underground cabling, transformers, metering connections and poles for up to 124 public DC Fast charging locations at a cost of up to $50,500 per location. To help manage the increased electrical costs of DC fast charging, demand charge discounts are also available.
Electric vehicles offer a clean, efficient alternative to gasoline-powered vehicles, averaging as low as one-third the cost-per-mile of gasoline. Depending on the battery capacity, EV driving range can vary from about 80 miles up to 280 miles. New Jersey’s Energy Master Plan calls for an increase in EV adoption to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the state, accounting for 46% of the state’s net emissions.
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