Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., has relaunched its residential electric vehicle (EV) charging incentives program, EV Driven, in New Jersey. The program, which reached maximum participation in 2023, offers up to $7,000 in incentives to eligible customers for property preparation for EV charger installation. This includes up to $1,500 for customer electrical upgrades and up to $5,500 for utility upgrades.
The EV Driven program was initially approved by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) in 2022. It was designed to provide incentives for electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the company's service area, with the aim of reducing auto emissions and benefiting the state's environment. The program's reopening comes after the BPU recently authorized reallocating $4.1 million from non-residential portions of the EV Driven program.
Doug Mokoid, FirstEnergy's President, New Jersey, commented on the relaunch, stating, "New Jersey is a top-five state nationally for electric vehicle sales, and we are excited to make it easier for JCP&L customers to prepare their properties for at-home EV charging. The success of the initial round of incentives shows just how valuable these are for our customers."
In addition to the incentives for preparation work, the program also offers bill credit incentives to encourage off-peak-hours charging. Electric vehicles offer a clean, efficient alternative to gasoline-powered vehicles, averaging as low as one-third the cost-per-mile of gasoline. New Jersey's Energy Master Plan calls for an increase in electric vehicle adoption to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the state, accounting for 46% of the state's net emissions.