Dominion installs vehicle charging stations on Richmond campus

Published July 2, 2013 by Paula C. Squires

Dominion is one of the first 48 companies in the nation to join the U.S. Department of Energy’s Workplace Charging Challenge, designed to help increase the number of U.S. employers offering workplace charging for electric vehicles.

Dominion said in a news release that it has installed two separately metered electric vehicle charging stations as a pilot program at its Tredegar Street campus next to the James River in downtown Richmond. The stations have two lockable power outlets used by employees who pay a monthly fee that covers the cost of electricity and gradually reimburses the company for the installation. The pilot project also will test the meter’s capability to control charging during peak demand hours remotely.

“A significant number of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles have been sold over the past year, and workplace charging will be critical to supporting continued growth,” Mary Doswell, senior vice president-Alternative Energy Solutions, said in a statement. “By joining the DOE program, we are signifying our intent to assess the possibility of expanding employee workplace charging beyond the Tredegar campus, while also sharing our expertise and serving as a model for other organizations.”

The DOE began its Workplace Charging Challenge in January. Today, each of the 48 companies that joined the initiative has committed to having at least one worksite that provides electric vehicle charging. The initiative is designed to increase the convenience of owning an electric vehicle.