On September 6th 2012, the Florida Public Service Commission heard the case for the use of powered charging stations for electric vehicles. A promising sign for the environment, and perhaps for our wallets as well.
This means that we could pretty close to sun-powered cars, a pretty wonderful concept. However, I am sure there are plenty of people out there who would much prefer to have solar panels on their vehicle. This means that we would never need to use gasoline or oil again in our vehicles. I am sure this technology is a long way off though.
Right now our EV Charging Stations are wired directly into the electrical grid in a similar way to our homes and businesses. However, many people have suggested that these stations are the perfect use for solar power.
The press release surrounding this event stated that the commission will ‘investigate the feasibility of using off-grid solar photovoltaic power as a source of electricity for charging stations
It was the state legislature that ordered the PSC to carry out research into the issue. They will need to report back to the speaker of the house, as well as the governor’s office by December.
The commission was open to public comment. The hearing itself was held in Tallahassee, but keen people were able to view the proceedings through the PSC’s website.
It seems that throughout South Florida, new Electric Vehicle Charging Stations are popping up fairly often. In fact, they can be found in various locations throughout the area, and this really goes to show just how popular electric vehicles are becoming. To find a charging station near you go to this website and type in your zip code: http://www.afdc.energy.gov/locator/stations/
The workshop was held at 9:30am on September 6th.
