Vehicle electrification is a key component to the City of Pittsburgh’s energy future, and Duquesne Light Company (DLC) is helping to pave the way.
According to the Electric Power Research Institute, electric vehicle registrations in DLC’s service territory are projected to reach nearly 100,000 within 20 years, which is 40 times the number registered today. With that level of growth expected, DLC is modernizing its grid to meet its customers’ charging needs.
“We want to help our customers and employees to better understand the benefits electric vehicles can provide, including lower fuel costs, fewer greenhouse gas emissions, less reliance on imported fuel and better utilization of the grid,” said Sarah Olexsak, DLC Manager of Transportation Electrification.
DLC is committed to increasing the number of electric vehicles on Pittsburgh’s roads. It has nine compact passenger EVs, six plug-in hybrid bucket trucks and four electric forklifts.
“Our plug-in electric bucket trucks reduce emissions and save on fuel costs by using battery packs to operate while at the job site,” said Olexsak. “Not having to run the engine also makes for a much quieter, and safer, work environment.”
DLC is now offering residential and commercial customers a bill credit for plug-in electric vehicles. Customers can now receive $60 per vehicle just for letting DLC know that they own or lease an EV, according to Olexsak. For businesses, she said that DLC is providing rebates of up to $32,000 to install publicly available charging stations. EV Charging Rebate funding covers installation costs and electrical service upgrades for a minimum of four dual-port Level 2 charging stations per site.
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