Greater Portland Gets Two New "Quick Charge" Stations for Plug-In Electric Vehicles
CMP News
Central Maine Power Company, 83 Edison Drive, Augusta, ME 04336 (207) 622-NEWS
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Media Contacts: Gail Rice, 207.622.NEWS
Greater Portland Gets Two New "Quick Charge" Stations for Plug-In Electric Vehicles
AUGUSTA, Maine, July 24, 2014 " People who drive plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) now have two places to go in the Greater Portland area for a quick charge, courtesy of Central Maine Power Co. (CMP), a subsidiary of Iberdrola USA, and Nissan. The charging stations from Nissan were provided as part of CMP's Plug-In Electric Vehicle (PEV) Grant Program. The program is designed to encourage the use of plug-in hybrid and electric cars in Maine, while gathering data about their use.
Representatives from the Cities of Portland and South Portland, several environmental groups, other PEV Grant Program recipients, automobile dealers, elected officials, and others joined the utility today as it unveiled the DC Quick Charge stations at the South Portland Community Center on Nelson Road and at the Fore Street Parking Garage in Portland. The quick chargers are believed to be the first installed in Greater Portland, and can bring a PEV from 0 to 80 percent charge in 30 minutes.
"CMP started our program by adding two Chevy Volts and 11 hybrid bucket trucks to our own fleet. We also installed charging stations at five locations throughout our service area," said CMP President and CEO Sara Burns at the event at the South Portland Community Center. "When we saw how well electric vehicles were working for us, it only made sense to encourage other organizations to give them a try."
Since its inception, CMP's PEV Grant Program has helped nearly 20 businesses, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations lease or purchase electric vehicles or charging infrastructure. Grant recipients include Bard Coffee, Bowdoin College, Chewonki Foundation, the City of South Portland, Colby College, East Brown Cow Property Management (Fore Street Garage), EcoMaine, Environment & Energy Technology Council of Maine (E2Tech), Fresh Air Ventilation Systems LLC, Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG), Green Clean Maine, IDEXX, Maine Energy Education Program (MEEP), Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), Portland House of Pizza, Sunrise Guide, Tilson Technology, and the Towns of Standish and Scarborough.
"Our parent company, Iberdrola, is a global leader in adoption of sustainable practices, and is a champion of this kind of technology around the world," said Burns."We're proud to be part of a corporation that has such an outstanding record of sustainability, and our PEV program is just one of many ways we can show that we share Iberdrola's commitment to the environment."
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CMP President and CEO Sara Burns and Bob D'Orval of Nissan North America, Inc. shake hands before cutting the ribbon for one of two new DC Quick Chargers now available to plug-in electric vehicle drivers in Greater Portland. The chargers, located at the South Portland Community Center on Nelson Street and in the Fore Street parking garage, can bring an EV from 0 to 80 percent charge in 30 minutes.
About Central Maine Power Company (CMP): Central Maine Power Company, a subsidiary of Iberdrola USA, is Maine's largest electricity transmission and distribution utility. The company delivers about 9 billion kilowatt hours of electricity annually to more than 600,000 homes and businesses, representing about 80% of Maine's annual consumer sales of electricity. The company has been ranked #1 in customer satisfaction six times by J.D. Power and Associates. For more information, visit www.cmpco.com/.
About Iberdrola USA: Iberdrola USA is the U.S. subsidiary of global energy leader Iberdrola, S.A. The Iberdrola USA companies employ about 5,000 people with operations in 24 states from New England to the West Coast, providing electricity generation, transmission and distribution, natural gas storage and distribution, and energy services. For more information, please visit our website: www.iberdrolausa.com. Follow us on Twitter: @IberdrolaUSA
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