The project would be the largest deployment of EV charging stations in the country and would help the state of California meet its clean transportation and climate goals.

All of the 25,000 stations PG&E proposes to build would have Level 2 chargers and PG&E would also install at key locations 100 DC fast chargers.

The chargers would be located at commercial and public locations, with around 10% installed to support disadvantaged communities.

The chargers would be provided at no cost to the site host, with PG&E saying that the costs would be shared by all electric customers with a minimal rate rise.

‘Our proposed build-out of EV charging infrastructure aims to accelerate customer adoption of clean, quiet, and efficient plug-in vehicles by reducing lingering range anxiety. It reflects our commitment to helping the state of California meet its critical clean air and greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals by promoting cleaner transportation,’ said Tony Earley, chairman, president, and CEO of PG&E Corporation.

‘By supporting market acceptance of electric vehicles, it should create tremendous new opportunities for other infrastructure and technology companies, help keep California in the forefront of EV innovation, and create new jobs in local communities across Northern and Central California,’ Earley added.

More than 60,000 plug-in electric vehicles are currently registered in PG&E's service area, which represents more than a fifth of all EVs in the United States.

The Governor's Office has called for 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles in California by 2025 to help meet the state's ambitious goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. To support that plan, industry models suggest that PG&E's service area will need about 100,000 Level 2 chargers in public locations by 2020.