Solar Power to Charge Electric Vehicles

One of the largest solar panel installations in the US has just gone into operation – to power electric vehicle charging stations.

The solar farm is one square mile with more than 200,000 solar panels, in the desert near San Bernadino, California. It produces enough energy to charge 500 EVs at 150kW stations simultaneously.

solar farm in California desert — Photo: Electrify America

It’s a project of Electrify America, which operates the largest network of charging stations in the US and Canada.

Electrify America powered more than five million charging sessions in 2022. That’s enough energy (173 GWh) to provide 493 million miles of EV driving.

Those EV miles replaced 21 million gallons of gasoline. Let that sink in for a moment – five million charging sessions vs. 21 million gallons of gas.

The solar farm, called America Solar Glow™1, should produce 225 Gigawatts, helping to reduce the carbon footprint of electric vehicle charging, according to Electrify News.

Renewable Energy for EVs

The innovative solar farm creates a new source of renewable energy for the largest public network of DC fast chargers in the United States.

President and CEO of Electrify America, Robert Barrosa said, “Electrify America is committed to being a part of the broader charging solution for EV drivers today and in the future.”In 2022, Electrify America charged a record number of vehicles.

The public charging stations had over 5 million sessions, which was 3.5 times more than in 2021.

As EV ownership continues to increase, Electrify America expects demand to increase on its charging network.

Adding 100% renewable energy sources will generate more power than was needed in 2022.

About Electrify America

Electrify America is the largest DC fast charging network in the United States.

The company has invested over $2 billion in a zero-emissions infrastructure, providing access to electric “fuel” in nearly all states and the District of Columbia. The charging giant does not have stations in Alaska, Delaware, North Dakota, and West Virginia.

The company also offers residential and commercial charging programs.

Electrify America partnered with Terra-Gen to build America Solar Glow™1.

About Terra-Gen

Terra-Gen is building utility-scale renewable energy projects around the United States.

Currently, the company has more than 2.7 GW of energy in almost 30 renewable energy farms. Its parent, ECP (Energy Capital Partners) is a global company at the forefront of renewable energy and storage to build a sustainable and decarbonized infrastructure since the 1990s.

ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is a journalist with 20+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and author of guidebooks and smartphone apps – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.

ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter currently serves as President of the International Motor Press Assn. (IMPA), a former Board Member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and a current member of the North American Travel Journalists Assn. (NATJA).

Contact me at evelyn@ecoxplorer.com.