Published Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Newnan has plenty of power for electric cars

By Winston Skinner

The Newnan Times-Herald

The growth of the electric car industry was discussed at a recent Municipal Electric Association of Georgia gathering. "They are becoming more and more popular," Newnan Utilities General Manager Dennis McEntire told the Newnan Water and Light board Tuesday.

Still, growth is relatively slow. "It's probably going to be a long, long time before we all have them at our houses," McEntire said.

It is projected there will be a half million electric cars worldwide within the next five years, McEntire said.

McEntire said the electrical utility industry has faced similar challenges in the past. Because the use of electrical appliances and devices is incremental, the industry is generally able to keep pace with demand.

McEntire said current models require five to eight hours to fully charge. The advent of those cars may well coincide with proposals to charge electric rates based on when power is used.

It costs "a lot less" to provide electricity at night "than it does during the peak of the day," McEntire said. Eventually, it will be possible to "charge you a different rate" at 11 p.m. "than we charge at 3 o'clock in the afternoon," he said.

Proponents of electric car technology suggest most people will drive their vehicles during the day and charge them at night when there is less need for electricity for homes and businesses.