Puget Sound Energy Ready to Support Deployment of Electric Vehicles

Puget Sound Energy told a regional planning workshop Monday that it will support the integration of plug-in electric vehicles into Western Washingtons transportation system and electric grid.

Puget Sound Energy President Kimberly Harris said PSE intends to actively help manufacturers, municipalities and electric-vehicle purchasers enhance their deployment of plug-in automobiles as the vehicles start entering the Puget Sound marketplace this fall.

Half of our regions greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation,” said Harris. Vehicles run on PSEs electricity will have roughly half the greenhouse gas emissions and one-third of the fuel cost of those run on conventional gasoline.

Also on Monday, King County Executive Dow Constantine announced the countys plans to work with local city governments and Charge Northwest to install 125 charging stations in King County. This is the first step in creating a public and private network of charging stations that will put King County at the forefront of the electric vehicle revolution, Constantine said. This will give drivers more confidence that the infrastructure will be in place before they purchase an electric vehicle.”

EPA Regional Administrator Dennis McLerran noted that emissions standards will only get more rigorous in coming years. To meet tougher air quality standards, we will have to cut more vehicle emissions, said McLerran. Our transportation system will have to transform in order to do that.

Harris said PSE expects to see several thousand electric vehicles purchased and over 1,000 public charging stations installed in its electric service area over the coming two years. Read more about PSE’s program here.