"We are excited to have launched our first fast charging station in the City of Oakland, a city that was instrumental in the founding of our agency just a handful of years ago," said Howard Chang, Ava Community Energy CEO. "We truly value their continued partnership and the collaboration to make this charging station a reality. Together with Oakland, we share a common goal, to increase access to clean energy and clean transportation."
As a Community Choice Aggregator, Ava has worked closely with its member cities to plan the locations of a network of fast charging stations, with the goal of increasing access to EV usage and to promote decarbonization. Locations will include city-owned public garages, parking lots, and curbsides near key community and business areas, and in close proximity to multi-family housing. This is key in an area like Alameda County where nearly 50 percent of its residents are renters.
Chang continued, "We want to be part of the solution to make clean powered transportation more accessible to everyone and so we have to look at placing charging stations in locations that have been underserved. We know that for renters, where home charging may be difficult or even impossible, building fast charging stations closer to them helps to start slowly breaking down barriers to EV adoption and begins to create greater equity and accessibility in EV usage."
Located in Oakland City Center West Garage near downtown Oakland, this first Ava fast charging station is the largest non-Tesla fast charging station in Northern California, a distinction that Ava is proud to bring to the City of Oakland. This first charging station features chargers for all makes and models of EVs, offers an abundance of charging stalls and, like future Ava fast charging stations, is near workplaces, housing and in this case, close to the freeway for commuters.
"We are pleased to have partnered with Ava to bring its first fast-charging station to Oakland. This project reflects the city's commitment to advancing equitable climate solutions and ensuring all residents are considered in the transition to clean energy," said Oakland City Councilmember Rowena Brown, who serves on the Ava Community Energy Board.
Oakland's 2030 Equitable Climate Action Plan (ECAP) aims to confront climate change by prioritizing frontline communities and expanding equitable access to clean air. A core focus of the plan is ensuring that residents have the infrastructure needed to consider electric vehicle adoption, while supporting current EV owners with charging stations that are reliable, accessible, and community-centered. The new fast-charging station represents a meaningful step toward that vision.
"Clean energy options must be accessible to all Oakland residents if we are going to make a meaningful and equitable impact on climate change," concluded Councilmember Brown.
By putting fast charging stations in these key areas of population density, Ava is helping to create the infrastructure for more residents to consider EV adoption.
Electric vehicle charging stations are central to Ava's core mission of expanding access to clean, sustainable energy to benefit more communities and move to decarbonization.
In addition to the City of Oakland, core partners in this first Ava Charge location include San Francisco-based EV Realty, who led engineering, procurement, and construction on the project, and is responsible for the site's ongoing maintenance and operations. And Kempower, the manufacturer of the 18 EV charging dispensers in use at the site.
"Our goal is to expand access to clean, sustainable energy in large and small ways through increased usage of solar systems, more electric transportation via cars and electric bikes which reduces tailpipe emissions, improving how people cook at home, and even how we heat our homes and water," continued Chang. "Ava Charge is just one step in our overall goal to make the transition to carbon-free energy easier for all."
Following the launch of the Oakland City Center West Garage charging station, Ava plans to continue its work with member cities to launch up to fourteen additional fast charging stations in their service territory by the end of 2030.
About Ava Community Energy
Ava Community Energy (Ava) is the not-for-profit public power provider for more than 2 million residents and commercial customers in Alameda County and the cities of Tracy, Stockton, and Lathrop. As one of 25 community choice aggregation (CCA) programs operating in California, Ava is part of the movement to provide energy choice while expediting local and state-wide climate action goals. Ava is committed to creating a brighter future in our communities and beyond by providing clean power at competitive rates, reinvesting in our member communities, and developing programs that make it easy for customers to discover and adopt clean energy solutions. To date, Ava has saved customers more than $170 million and contracted for more than one gigawatt of renewable energy projects.
Media Contact:
Bobby Peña, 916-730-5191, bpena@bp3.com
SOURCE Ava Community Energy
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