The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has announced a new pilot program that will provide rebates of up to $2,000 each to the first 1,000 LADWP customers for home chargers and installation costs for their electric vehicles (EVs).
The program, called ‘Electric Vehicle Home Charger Rebate Program – Charge Up LA,’ was recently approved by the Board of Water and Power Commissioners and is designed to ease the financial burden for residents who want to install a rapid (Level 2) charger at their home for qualifying electric vehicles.
The LADWP will track the EV charging patterns to ascertain where to allocate resources for potential energy growth. By monitoring charging patterns, the LADWP can guard against straining the grid, the utility adds.
To qualify for the rebate, customers must participate in LADWP's residential time-of-use rate, which provides a discount for electrical use during off-peak hours. By charging their EVs during off-peak hours, owners will maximize renewable wind power and ease the strain on the electric grid, LADWP notes.
“We expect most of our customers to charge their electric vehicles at night, and the result is a double win for the environment,” says Ron Nichols, general manager at the LADWP. “We generate electricity with renewable wind power, and we store that renewable energy in car batteries that then power Angelenos' cars during the day.”
