Progress installs 6 electric vehicle charging stations in S.C.

Progress Energy Carolinas, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, has installed the plug-in electric vehicle charging stations as part of its commercial charging station research program. These are the first public-access charging stations Duke Energy has installed in South Carolina.

Staff Report
Published Oct. 25, 2012

Progress Energy Carolinas, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, has installed six plug-in electric vehicle charging stations in South Carolina, as part of its commercial charging station research program.

These are the first public-access charging stations Duke Energy has installed in the state. The host sites will cover the cost of electricity during the research project, the company said.

The new stations are ready for use and two each are located at:

City of Hartsville's Fifth Street parking lot.
City of Florence's parking lot, corner of Irby and Cheves streets.
Hilton Garden Inn, 2671 Hospitality Blvd., Florence.

"The adoption of plug-in electric vehicles continues to grow in our communities and we're committed to helping ensure our infrastructure is ready for their eventual widespread use," said Clark Gillespy, S.C. president of Duke Energy. "This research project gives us insight into the electric system's state of readiness to accommodate charging equipment, which will help us as we transform into the transportation fuel providers of the future."

Data collected from the stations will help the utility evaluate charging needs outside the home, impact on the grid, and the costs and issues associated with installing public-access charging stations.

Progress Energy Carolinas has now provided 36 public-access stations at commercial and governmental locations. It plans to have 40 in the Carolinas by the end of the research project.

The new stations are level-2 charging stations, which mean they use a 240-volt circuit instead of a standard 120-volt home outlet. It can charge plug-in electric vehicles three to five times faster than a typical outlet.

Progress Energy Carolinas will own and maintain the charging equipment for the duration of the research project, which ends April 2013. Ownership and maintenance responsibilities will transfer to the commercial customers afterward. The utility has also installed 150 charging stations at homes in its service area, as part of its "Plugged In" residential charging station research program.

The research programs are partly funded through a smart grid grant from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.