Advanced Energy Hosts State-Wide PEV (Plug-in Electric Vehicle) Taskforce Event

(Raleigh, N.C. — April 10, 2013) Advanced Energy, a nationally recognized nonprofit committed to helping stakeholders and communities understand, plan-for and implement emerging transportation initiatives, recently hosted more than 125 members of the NC PEV Taskforce at a half-day event in downtown Raleigh, NC. The NC PEV Readiness Initiative: Plugging-in from Mountains to Sea, one of 16 projects which received funding by the Department of Energy (DOE), created North Carolina's first PEV Readiness Plans. Advanced Energy served as the technical lead for this project and partnered with several North Carolina organizations to create a state-wide readiness plan as well as four regional readiness plans which can be replicated in other areas of the US. 

Keynote speaker, Joe Dooley, Senior Associate with the Pew Charitable Trusts—Clean Energy Program pointed out that Advanced Energy's work was extremely thorough and comprehensive, and stated that "plug-in electric vehicles offer significant economic and national security benefits, and are a growing part of the global clean energy sector." Jason Wagner, Sustainability Program Manager with the Centralina Council of Governments and Co-Coordinator of the Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition, stated that the meeting was an "excellent opportunity to hear from a variety of sectors including how they plan to use recommendations within the Readiness Plans to support their program goals."

The Taskforce is focused on establishing North Carolina as the leader in electric transportation and promoting PEV readiness throughout the state. Going forward, Advanced Energy will continue to direct the Taskforce in its initiatives to implement the readiness plans, launch a series of webinars, establish a Smart Transportation Working Group in partnership with the Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster, and continue to inform stakeholders about key national programs and resources concerning electric vehicles, including DOE's Workplace Charging Challenge and PEV Scorecard.

Jeff Barghout, Division Director of Transportation Initiatives at Advanced Energy, stated that the "work of the NCPEV Taskforce is just one example of how citizens from the public and private sectors can come together to embrace the future of alternative fuel transportation." Established in 1980, Advanced Energy has been leading the way with developing innovative programs, conducting cutting-edge research and analyzing real-world effectiveness for energy issues, which has resulted in delivering tangible results with practical, sustainable solutions.

ABOUT ADVANCED ENERGY
Advanced Energy (AE), headquartered in Raleigh, NC, is a nationally recognized nonprofit with a mission to provide economic, environmental and societal benefits through innovative and market-based approaches to energy issues. Founded in 1980, AE focuses on applied building sciences in residential, commercial and industrial settings; industrial process technologies; renewable energy; motors and drives testing; and emerging transportation initiatives (such as electric transportation).
AE has been a primary contributor to numerous U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funded programs on PEVs and has developed several guidance documents and tools on PEV infrastructure planning and implementation such as the Charging Station Installation Handbook for Electrical Contractors, the Community Planning Guide for PEVs, and a customizable computer-based planning matrix containing more than 240 steps for community, regional and/or state-wide planning. AE's effort in the Research Triangle Park Region of North Carolina has led to recognition by the International Energy Agency, the Rocky Mountain Institute and the Clinton Climate Initiative as one of the leading communities in the United States for PEV readiness.

To learn more about Advanced Energy, visit: www.AdvancedEnergy.org, www.NCPEVTaskforce.org or contact Jane Brasier, Business Development Manager, jbrasier@AdvancedEnergy.org or call 919-857-9047.