AEP Ohio gets approvals for electric vehicle charging stations in state
AEP Ohio on April 25 received the necessary approvals from the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to expand access to electric vehicle (EV) charging and renewable generation.
“Our customers want reliability and access to advanced technologies, such as EV charging stations, microgrids and renewable energy resources,” Julie Sloat, AEP Ohio president and chief operating officer, said. “Our plan allows us to bring these services, which also will support economic development in Ohio, to customers across the state.”
The expansion of the EV charging stations is part of the Smart Columbus initiative, which creates a rebate incentive program for the hardware, network services, and installation of infrastructure for up to 300 level 2 charging stations and 75 DC Fast charging stations. Through this $10 million program, owners can get rebates for installing charging stations. Ten percent of the stations will be located in low-income areas. Rebate amounts vary depending on the type of station being built, the availability of the charging station to the general public, and whether the owner is a public or private entity.
The EV charging program is funded by the Smart City Rider, a new charge that will end in four years.
Sloat added that this is part of AEP Ohio’s Electric Security Plan (ESP), which enables the company to continue its investments in the electric grid to provide reliable power and help advance new technologies and cleaner energy. The typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month will see an increase of less than 50 cents per month, she added.
The ESP includes vegetation management, which has reduced the number of outages caused by trees, the expansion of smart technologies that help improve reliability, and the development of microgrids to maintain power in areas where critical public service facilities such as police and fire stations, hospitals and emergency shelters are located.
The ESP also supports the expansion of wind and solar resources in the state. AEP Ohio has committed to develop 400 megawatts (MW) of solar and 500 MW of wind power in Ohio.
“Companies are increasingly evaluating the availability of renewable energy when they are looking to locate or expand their business. Having access to renewable resources helps make Ohio more attractive to businesses,” Sloat said.
