One Utility's Plan to Build Thousands of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Southern California Edison wants to add 1,500 public charging stations to its service area, potentially expanding the effort to 30,000 charging stations if all goes well.

1 minute read

May 26, 2016, 9:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Electric Car

Matej Kastelic / Shutterstock

"Southern California Edison is looking to increase the number of public electric vehicle charging stations in California by 16 percent," reports Steve Scauzillo. The investor-owned utility will "spend $22 million to offset the cost of installing 1,500 public charging stations at workplaces and multi-unit apartment and condominium complexes within its 50,000-square-mile service area."

If the initial project goes well, the utility hopes to expand that effort to add an additional 30,000 charging stations at a total cost of $355 million. Early indications from the workplaces component of that plan are already good. In a separate article, Scauzillo provides a dispatch from an event with potential customers about a week after the news was announced. There, large companies and organizations from a variety of industries indicated their interest in the potential of adding new electric vehicle charging stations.

SCE's electric vehicle charging station plans fit into a larger state plan to "put 1.5-million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025 for an 80 percent reduction in carbon pollution from the transportation sector by 2050," explains Scauzillo.

Saturday, May 14, 2016 in San Gabriel Valley Tribune

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents

The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

July 11 - Real Change

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing

Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

July 11 - Shelterforce Magazine

Green bike share bikes parked in a row on a commercial street with outdoor dining and greenery.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive

Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.

July 11 - Cities Today