Southern Company subsidiary Southern Nuclear on Tuesday unveiled a dual charging station for 10 electric and/or plug-in hybrid vehicles that can help “energy-conscious employees,” charge up their cars while they work.
It costs about $1 for 35 miles worth of energy at the charge-up station, said Site Design Engineer Matthew Budraitis, who touted the new installations as a convenience for employees, especially for those who drive cars with smaller battery packs that require more frequent charges to keep going.
The stations symbolize the need for the nuclear power industry to align itself with other portions of the country's future energy mix. Historically, renewable power sources and nuclear power have not been aligned together, but the future appears each day more destined to reflect the need for low-carbon or no-carbon power sources, which puts wind, solar, nuclear and hydro power in the same bracket.
"Our mission is to generate clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy, and our company is a national leader in promoting the importance of America's energy mix," said Site Vice President Cheryl Gayheart. "We're glad to make this investment and provide cost-saving and environmental benefits for our workers and the community. I am hopeful more workers will take advantage of our company's incentives for electric vehicles as well as other incentives at the state and federal levels."
Southern Company said the charging stations demonstrate the commitment to research, development and marketing of electric transportation that it began in the 1990s.