HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (Sept. 3, 2020) – Electric vehicle (EV) charging stations are coming to Carrboro and Mebane thanks to Piedmont Electric.
The stations will be located at Carrboro Plaza off Highway 54 and at Garrett Crossing shopping center in Mebane off Interstate-40. The new stations will be DC fast chargers and installation is expected to begin and be completed in 2021. DC fast chargers provide the quickest charge available and can charge a depleted electric vehicle’s battery to 80 percent capacity in less than 30 minutes.
“These charging stations will help increase local commerce, reduce emissions and bring the benefits of driving electric to our community,” said Steve Hamlin, President and CEO of Piedmont Electric. “Our members are increasingly interested in the convenience, cost savings and environmental advantage of electric vehicles, and we are proud to support expansion of this technology by securing funding for these local projects.”
Piedmont Electric, an electric cooperative serving 32,000 members in Alamance, Caswell, Durham, Granville, Orange and Person counties, was awarded the funding as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s settlement with Volkswagen. In North Carolina, the Volkswagen funds were awarded and distributed by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.
Piedmont Electric’s support of electric vehicles is part of the co-op’s larger Brighter Futures initiative in which the local co-op has pledged to reduce carbon dioxide emissions 50 percent by 2030 and will have net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“Being a local cooperative, Piedmont Electric is concerned about more than just delivering affordable, reliable power. One of our core principles is to look out for the communities we serve,” Hamlin said. “To meet that principle, Piedmont Electric has set ambitious carbon reduction goals to make sure that we do our part to protect the environment and ensure our communities remain a good place to live, work and raise a family.”
Piedmont Electric is a local, member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative serving more than 32,000 electric accounts in Alamance, Caswell, Durham, Granville, Orange and Person counties. Piedmont Electric exists to serve our members and improve the quality of life in our communities through local employment, economic development, business engagement, youth education, grants to educators, advocacy for energy issues, community involvement, broadband connectivity and emergency preparedness support. Visit www.pemc.coop for more information.
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