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Visitors to Imperial Beach Sports Park – a popular community destination – now have access to a new amenity: four electric vehicle chargers built by San Diego Gas & Electric under its Power Your Drive for Schools, Parks and Beaches program.

These chargers are the first ones completed under the program, which aims to install a total of 336 chargers at 52 sites regionwide. Today Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina, San Diego County Supervisor Nora Vargas and Business Manager Nate Fairman of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) 465 joined SDG&E to officially unveil the Level 2 chargers, which can provide up to 26 miles of range per hour of charging.

“With plug-in vehicles becoming increasingly popular in recent years, our region needs more charging infrastructure to keep up with demand,” said Estela de Llanos, SDG&E’s vice president of clean transportation, sustainability and chief environmental officer. “Regardless of where you live, work and play, SDG&E is committed to making chargers more accessible, so anyone who is interested in making the switch to a plug-in vehicle can easily do it.”

To deliver on its sustainability commitment and to support local, regional and state climate and air quality goals,  SDG&E has been working aggressively to expand the regional EV charging infrastructure to support zero-emission cars, trucks, buses, and more. In the coming years, SDG&E plans to build thousands of more chargers regionwide.

Transportation is the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in California and in Imperial Beach: 41% of all GHG in the state and 57% in the city are from tailpipes. Transportation is also a significant source of air pollution. Under the School, Parks and Beaches program, SDG&E’s goal is to install 50% of the chargers in underserved communities.

“I am happy to see the diversification in the placement of EV charging stations, and it’s important that our frontline communities who face the largest burden of pollution levels have access to them,” said Vargas, vice-chair of the county Board of Supervisors. “Additionally, we must continue to break down barriers to help our communities gain access to these vehicles, in order for our region to justly transition to a zero-carbon future by 2035.”

Imperial Beach is one of the communities that is most vulnerable to the effects to climate change in San Diego County – particularly sea level rise and flooding. It’s also a community of concern because the city’s median household income ($53,690) is significantly below the county’s median ($78,980), according to U.S. Census figures.

“This project is both very timely and significant for Imperial Beach. Our city is in the midst of revitalizing and re-investing in our park system, so we really appreciate the partnership with SDG&E to bring a wonderful amenity to a popular recreation destination,” said Mayor Dedina. “More importantly, we are excited to have the charging infrastructure to enable our residents to drive electric and help reduce transportation-related pollution.”

Those who wish to use the chargers at the park have two easy ways to pay: tap their credit card or via the ChargePoint mobile app.

SDG&E is an innovative San Diego-based energy company that provides safe, reliable, clean energy to better the lives of the people it serves in San Diego and southern Orange counties. More than 4,000 employees work to provide the cleanest, safest and most reliable energy in the West. The company has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for leadership in addressing climate change, was the first to meet California’s goal of delivering 33 percent of energy from renewable sources, has fueled the adoption of electric vehicles and energy efficiency through unique customer programs, and supports a number of non-profit partners. SDG&E is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San Diego. For more information, visit SDGEnews.com or connect with SDG&E on Twitter (@SDGE), Instagram (@SDGE) and Facebook.

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