Duke Energy launching electric transportation pilot programs this weekend

PLAINFIELD — On Thursday, Duke Energy announced its plan to launch electric transportation pilot programs in Indiana for residential and commercial customers.

In June, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission approved four 2-year customer-focused Duke Energy electric transportation pilot programs.

The programs are designed to better understand the effects of increasing adoption of electric vehicles and to help learn charging preferences and behaviors among customers throughout Indiana.

“As the adoption of electric vehicles accelerates, pilot programs such as these give us the opportunity to gain critical knowledge around what an electric automotive future will require and ensure we’re planning the system to reliably meet our customer's needs,” Duke Energy Indiana President Stan Pinegar said in a release.

The EV pilot programs include:

• Off-peak Charging Credit
  
  • Customers with a level 2 EV charger can apply for an off-peak credit which provides quarterly bill credit for charging EVs during decreased energy demand periods.
    
• Commercial Charger Rebate
  
  • The Commercial Charger Rebate pilot program offers a financial incentive to Duke Energy commercial customers, including businesses, apartment dwelling units, and government or workplace fleet operators, to install electric vehicle chargers at their place of business.
• Fleet Advisory
  
  • The Fleet Advisory pilot program is an opportunity for fleet managers to assess the economics and sometimes complex logistical challenges of commercial fleets transitioning to electric vehicles. Duke Energy will provide a comprehensive EV suitability analysis for eligible customers interested in switching their operating fleets to electric.
• Electric School Bus
  
  • As part of the Electric School Bus pilot program, Duke Energy will work with school districts to provide partial funding – up to $197,000 per bus – and charging infrastructure for six electric school buses.

The pilot programs will launch on Oct. 1 and run for 24 months each.