Enel X Way North America, a global e-mobility business of the Enel Group, has entered into a partnership with Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company (LG&E and KU), the two largest utilities in Kentucky, to install fast electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at up to eight locations across their service territories. The five-year agreement will provide LG&E and KU with DC fast EV charging infrastructure, software, and operations and maintenance services. The first phase of the project will include four locations to be determined by LG&E and KU in 2023, providing EV drivers with access to eight Enel X Way 350-kilowatt DC fast charging stations, capable of simultaneous charging.
The partnership aims to address range anxiety, increase accessibility, and support the growing number of EV motorists in and traveling through Kentucky. Kentucky was one of the first states to get its National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) funding contract approved and has made $86.9 million available for EV charging infrastructure over the next five years, with matching funds. According to the Lane Report, Kentucky has already attracted over $9 billion in investments from EV battery makers, and automotive suppliers have received federal approval to develop a nearly $70 million EV charging network.
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Eileen Saunders, Vice President of Customer Services for LG&E and KU, said, “We know our customers, like motorists across the nation, are increasingly interested in driving electric, and many of them will do so within this decade. We’ve made it a priority to do what we can to expand the EV charging network and to empower them with the information they need to confidently make the switch.” This agreement builds upon a long-standing partnership between Enel North America and LG&E and KU, who have worked together for years to provide business customers with customized energy-reduction plans through the Commercial Demand Conservation Program.
Enel X Way’s Head of North America, Chris Baker, said, “As the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act aims to develop a national network of 500,000 EV chargers, Enel X Way is supporting efforts to build out and optimize EV charging infrastructure in states across the country alongside our trusted partners. With federal NEVI funding and LG&E and KU’s investment in EV infrastructure, Kentucky will be accelerating EV adoption and bringing range confidence to new EV drivers.”