With record breaking gas prices, many are looking into the possibility of electric cars, but one concern is the lack of charging stations around the state. So, NV Energy is hoping to address that.
NV Energy is investing up to $100 million to rapidly expand electric vehicle (EV) charging station infrastructure over the next three years through its Economic Recovery Transportation Electrification Plan (ERTEP).
This will not only help drive the silver state's economic recovery, but potentially bring down the price of energy for Nevada residents.
"The economic impact is just enormous, but from an energy perspective, this incremental load actually has the opportunity to put pressure down on rates," said Marie Steele, Vice President of Electrification for NV Energy.
Starting today, Nevada residents, tourists and NV Energy customers can visit nvenergy.com/ertep to suggest locations of their preferred charging station locations by noting the address on a map of Nevada.
This stakeholder input will help NV Energy inform where charging stations are needed to accelerate transportation electrification.
“Access to charging is one of the barriers to EV adoption and it’s important for us to know where our customers and visitors would like to charge their current or future EV,” said Marie Steele, NV Energy Vice President of Electrification and Energy Services. “Through ERTEP, NV Energy will create more charging station access across our Nevada service territory and prioritize historically underserved communities to ensure all Nevadans can enjoy the economic and environmental benefits of electric vehicles.”
In addition to seeking public input on charging locations, NV Energy invites its customers to participate in a survey that is also available on nvenergy.com/ertep. Responses will help shape future programming and customer education options.
Survey topics include preferred vehicle type and features, charging availability and current barriers to owning an EV.
A lot of people are wondering what the difference is between paying for gas or power. Well, according to NV Energy, you can get about one thousand miles worth of power for anywhere between $11-$30, depending on if you charge at peak times.
Compare that to a gas vehicle getting 20 miles per gallon on average, and you are paying around $250 at $5 a gallon.
For right now, the public charging infrastructure is deregulated, so whoever owns the charging station can charge whatever they want... But the price will be cheaper with NV energy owned stations.
“We have a tariff, so if NV energy owns these charging stations, we have tied it to your residential rate, such that it doesn’t matter if you are charging at home or charging in public, you can get that same price for the energy," said Steele.
For more information on ERTEP and how to register for upcoming webinars, visit nvenergy.com/ertep.
