News Release Archive

New Melones Lake to Offer Two Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Beginning April 1 – the First in Reclamation

Media Contact: Margaret Gidding, 916-978-5100, mgidding@usbr.gov

For Release: March 28, 2014

SONORA, Calif. The Bureau of Reclamation’s Central California Area Office announces that two electric vehicle charging stations will be available to the public on Tuesday, April 1, at New Melones Lake – the first stations at any Reclamation facility. The charging stations are located at the Glory Hole Recreation Area’s Ironhorse Campground and in the Tuttletown Recreation Area’s Lupine Day Use Area. Both recreation areas require payment of a user fee for use of recreation amenities. Once the user fee is paid, there will be no additional fee to charge electric vehicles using the charging station.

While people generally charge their electric vehicles at home, other charging options are often needed. Using a standard 120-volt outlet at home, charging can take 10 to 12 hours; using a 240-volt outlet (such as is used for electric clothes dryers), 4 to 5 hours may be needed. The charging stations at New Melones are state-of-the-art “fast” chargers, capable of charging the average electric car in only 30 minutes using 480 volts.

New Melones Lake’s electric vehicle charging stations were made by Clipper Creek, Inc. and have the new industry standard SAE-J1772™ compliant connector, which can charge at three levels: Level 1 = 120 volts, Level 2 = 208-240 volts, or Level 3 = 480 volts.

In 2007, California Assembly Bill 118 created the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program, which authorized the California Energy Commission to “develop and deploy alternative and renewable fuels and advanced transportation technologies to help attain the state’s climate change policies.”

In 2009, President Obama signed Executive Order 13514, Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance, to “establish an integrated strategy toward sustainability in the federal government and to make the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions a priority for federal agencies.”

Funds for the charging units were obtained by a grant from the California Energy Commissioner together with Clipper Creek. To learn more about the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program, please visit http://www.energy.ca.gov/drive/. Additional information on the President’s energy strategy is available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/energy.

For more information on the new electric vehicle charging stations at New Melones Lake, please contact
Alex Michalek, Park Manager, at amichalek@usbr.gov, or Sandra Suchodolski, Natural Resource Specialist, at ssuchodolski@usbr.gov or call 209-536-9094 (1-800-877-8339).

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.