Entergy & LSU Install Electric Vehicle Chargers on Campus

Submitted by Mary Broussard

Entergy and LSU Install Electric Vehicle Chargers on Campus, Celebrate First Charge

LSU is the state’s first university to join Entergy in offering infrastructure to support the adoption of electric vehicles in the Louisiana market

Baton Rouge, La. — Entergy Louisiana LLC, Entergy Gulf States Louisiana L.L.C. and LSU launched one of the state’s first major forays into the electric vehicle market on Wednesday, July 6, when Entergy unveiled two new electric vehicle car chargers that were installed on LSU’s campus.

The EV chargers will provide free power to students, faculty and staff who own electric vehicles, while enabling university areas, such as the Center for Energy Studies, and Entergy to collect usage data and conduct critical research about the chargers’ impact on consumers and the electric grid.

“Electric vehicles are gaining widespread attention and being embraced as an important technology solution for the nation’s energy future. We know that the infrastructure must be in place to support the evolution of the technology, and we hope Entergy’s donation of EV chargers to LSU will help start that process for the Baton Rouge market,” said Bill Mohl, president and chief executive officer of Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana. “This program is part of our deeper commitment to support technologies that foster environmental sustainability and provide for clean, efficient and affordable power for today and tomorrow.”

The charging stations are currently capable of providing a full charge to any EV on the market. However, the program to provide LSU students, faculty and staff with free electrical charges with the use of an issued swipe card is expected to be in place by the fall semester.

The charging stations, located across from Patrick F. Taylor Hall and in the Hart Lot near Kirby Smith, are the first to be installed on a Louisiana university campus for the sole purpose of providing free charges to faculty, staff and students owning electric cars as well as for research purposes. The chargers were donated to LSU by Entergy and were paid for by Entergy shareholders through its Environmental Initiatives Fund which was established as a mechanism to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through innovative and promising projects.

 “As the state’s flagship university, it’s fitting that we are the leader in accepting and installing Entergy’s gift in the company’s four-state service territory,” said LSU Chancellor Mike Martin. “This partnership will go a long way to establishing a cleaner environment and a cleaner way to travel for our citizens. LSU’s Center for Energy Studies also will benefit from the data produced by these chargers while our students, faculty and staff will benefit from the free charges.”

The next generation of affordable, consumer-friendly EVs – such as the Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf – are hitting the U.S. market, and a total of 3.2 million plug-in electric vehicles will be sold worldwide by 2015, according to Pike Research. On July 6, Mike the Tiger charged up the first EV, a demonstration model Nissan Leaf provided by Royal Nissan of Baton Rouge, at one of the LSU stations. Both the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt are expected to be available within the Baton Rouge market by December 2011.

            Entergy is currently working with other universities in and around its four-state service territory to donate up to 16 electric vehicle chargers. The chargers are manufactured by Coulomb Technologies, which specializes in electric vehicle charging systems and operates in 14 countries, with network operations centers in the U.S., London and Hong Kong.

Entergy Louisiana, LLC and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, L.L.C. serve more than a million customers. With operations in southern, central and northeastern Louisiana, the companies are part of Entergy Corp.’s electric system serving 2.7 million customers in Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas.