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10/29/2014 |
Press Release |
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Fremont Chamber of Commerce Receives CEC Grant |
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Contact: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cindy Bonior October 20, 2014
President & CEO
510-795-2244 ext. 106
[email protected]
Fremont Chamber of Commerce Receives CEC Grant
Strategic partnership will facilitate deployment of EV charging stations
Fremont, Calif. – The Fremont Chamber of Commerce, along with its partners Gridscape Solutions, Delta Products Corporation and Prologis, is pleased to announce that the California Energy Commission (CEC) has awarded it a grant of $305,352 for the building and installation of two DC Fast Charging stations and twelve Level 2 Charging stations at the Bayside Business Park in Warm Spring, Fremont.
As part of its goal of the economic development of Fremont, the Fremont Chamber of Commerce has identified the development of EV infrastructure as an important element to foster continued growth. “As a Chamber of Commerce, we are active in economic development and are committed to achieve this in a responsible and sustainable way,” said Cindy Bonior, president and CEO, Fremont Chamber of Commerce. “We believe that the addition of charging stations will be an important amenity for business and is critical to our progress and success in this goal.”
Fremont residents and businesses have long been early adopters of environmentally friendly technology. Approximately 30% of electric vehicles registered in Alameda County are in Fremont. In 2013, CVRP rebates jumped 300%. According to Rachel A. DiFranco, Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Fremont, the Bay Area is home to 37 percent of the plug-in electric vehicles in California with nearly 29,000 vehicles. With over 1,900 of those vehicles owned by Fremont residents, Fremont alone is responsible for 30 percent of all of the electric vehicles in Alameda County. In fact, Fremont’s 94539 zip code has more EVs than any other single zip code in California!
The growing popularity of EV’s has left Fremont underserved in terms of publicly available charging stations. “Fremont is the 4th largest city in the Bay Area and currently has only three publicly available DC fast charging stations”, says Vipul Gore, President and CEO of Gridscape Solutions. “The availability and easy access to both CHaDeMo and SAE Combo DC Charging stations at this park is going to be a boon to EV drivers looking for corridor and destination charging.” Supporting electric vehicle infrastructure is one key way to facilitate the adoption of cleaner methods of transportation, helping to achieve the stringent community-wide GHG emissions reduction goal of 25 percent by the year 2020.
The charging stations will be located at Prologis-owned buildings at the Bayside Business Park in Fremont’s Innovation District. Bayside Business Park is at the southern edge of Fremont, at the confluence of I-880 and I-680, two of the Bay Area’s busiest commuting routes. This strategic location provides quick access for commuting drivers and employees at the park.
“We’ve seen a notable increase in electric vehicle use in the business park and our customers are asking about charging station options,” said Matt Drury, vice president, leasing officer of Prologis in Fremont. “We are glad to provide alternative energy options for the community, and are thankful for the support from the Chamber, the City of Fremont and the CEC.”
Ground breaking for the charging stations is scheduled to take place in December with an anticipated completion date of early Spring. “The Chamber and our partners are very excited to collaborate on the deployment of additional charging stations in Fremont,” said Bonior. “The additional stations will provide for increased usage of electric vehicles and position Fremont for future sustainable growth.”
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