From Green Biz.com

PG&E's new EV proposal lays groundwork for $1-per-gallon fuel

It is so good to see a utility use it's spare capacity to offer discounted charging rates to EV owners.  What a great incentive to switch over to an electric vehicle; in essence, running the car on $1 per gallon.  Would you need any more of an incentive than that?

Take a look at the story:  "[Editor's note: PG&E's new yet-to-be-approved rate proposal could significantly reduce the cost to charge electric vehicles in its Northern California territory, giving corporate fleet owners in the area another reason to consider EVs -- a lower, more predictable fuel cost over which they can assume greater control by optimizing charging conditions. Meanwhile, companies like Schneider, ABB and Siemens are bringing quick chargers to the market for when customers can't wait eight hours to charge up.]

Yesterday, the biggest electric utility in California, the largest car market in the country, took an important step to give drivers access to a cleaner fuel that's roughly the equivalent of buck-a-gallon gasoline.  

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) has submitted a proposal for new and improved rate plans that encourage electric car drivers to charge when there's plenty of spare capacity on the electrical grid, at a price that, in real dollars, is less than half what gas cost in 1949, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

To be clear, PG&E already has rates designed for electric cars, but those rates are unnecessarily complex and in need of an update, which is why the California Public Utilities Commission directed PG&E to develop new, simpler options for electric vehicle drivers. Today's proposal is actually the second attempt by PG&E to comply with that directive. The first one spurred 75 letters of protest from some vocal electric car customers who objected to some of the proposed changes. The plan PG&E submitted today addresses the concerns raised in those protest letters and should significantly improve the fundamental economics of vehicle electrification in a large portion of the Golden State..."

We've always felt that it will take cooperation on all levels, including utilities, to convince a skeptical consumer base that EV's are a good alternative to mainstream cars.  As with buying an car, deciding on a EV model will not be an altruistic, I-want-to-support-the environment choice--it will be, I like the car and it makes financial sense.  Deals like this one will move the economics, pretty quickly, in the right direction.

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