Officials from Saint Peter's University Hospital and Public Service Electric and Gas Co. (PSE&G) have marked the completion of a five-station electric vehicle (EV) charging project at the New Brunswick, N.J., hospital. The stations are located on the ground floor of the hospital's CARES parking garage and are part of a PSE&G pilot program designed to help spur the adoption of EVs in the utility's electric service territory.
‘Saint Peter's Healthcare System encourages the use of plug-in electric vehicles as a means of increasing our energy security, improving fuel economy, lowering fuel costs and reducing emissions,’ says Ronald C. Rak, CEO of Saint Peter's Healthcare System. ‘The charging station enables us to fulfill those goals as a proud steward of a cleaner environment and better health.’
As part of the pilot program, the hospital committed to immediately utilizing the five charging stations for staff members who own and drive EVs to the hospital. In return, PSE&G provided the charging equipment free-of-charge, and the hospital paid for the installation of the units and will pay for ongoing maintenance and electricity costs.Â
‘The lack of convenient charging stations remains an impediment that keeps potential EV drivers from going all electric,’ says Joe Forline, vice president of customer solutions at PSE&G. ‘By offering this pilot program and partnering with forward-thinking organizations like Saint Peter's University Hospital, we are doing our part to alleviate 'range anxiety' among current EV owners while also demonstrating to potential owners that EVs are a viable option in New Jersey.’
The PSE&G pilot program currently has 25 EV charging stations in service at four customer locations around the state, including Saint Peter's University Hospital. There are 10 additional charging stations under construction at two other customer sites, and the utility is in discussion with several other customers with the goal of installing 50 individual charging stations at 10 customer locations by the end of 2015.
In addition to providing a charging for EV drivers, the PSE&G pilot program also allows the utility to collect real-world data about how the chargers are used. The utility says this will allow PSE&G to better understand the impact that large-scale EV charging could have on the electric grid, identify areas of potential high-EV charger density and plan for infrastructure upgrades and modifications that may be needed.
‘By analyzing this data, we will know how people and organizations use these charging systems in real life, which will allow us to better plan for the future of EVs in New Jersey,’ says Forline.
