Curbside EV Charging Comes to Southeast Portland
Posted on April 28, 2020 by Bob Jenks
Tags, Energy
EV owners in Southeast Portland have a new option for charging their vehicles as two new EV chargers were installed on curbside utility poles. The chargers, located in the Division/Clinton neighborhood, are Level 2 Chargers (240 volts) and the electricity will be free through December 31, 2020.
As a long-time resident of the neighborhood, I have watched it transform in recent years as hundreds of new apartments were built and many new restaurants opened. Many of the apartment buildings do not have parking. While I can charge my EV in my driveway, new residents of the neighborhood do not have that option. As Portland grows and more families live in multi-family housing, there is a need for more EV charging stations.
The new chargers, installed by Portland General Electric (PGE), are designed to test one new option. By placing the chargers on utility poles and having the City designate them as EV-only parking spaces, there are now dedicated areas to charge within blocks of new apartments and restaurants. Seattle City Light (Seattle’s electric provider) is trying a similar project.
CUB applauds PGE for testing this idea. Owners of EVs require utility service and we must find ways to meet the needs of EV owners, including people who live in multi-family buildings. In March 2020, CUB submitted analysis to the Oregon Public Utility Commission that demonstrated that EVs are contributing millions of dollars in revenue to PGE and putting downward pressure on rates by helping cover the fixed costs of the distribution system. PGE customers have already received more than $4.5 million in reduced costs due to EV load. Allowing PGE to invest some of this money back into helping customers manage their EV charging makes sense. We can serve EV load and still ensure that EVs are contributing revenue to the system and helping lower everyone’s rates.
If you live in the Division/Clinton neighborhood or are visiting one of the local restaurants and want to charge your EV, here are the locations:
35th Place between Division and Clinton
29th Avenue between Clinton and Taggart
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04/28/20 | 1 Comment | Curbside EV Charging Comes to Southeast Portland