By Stephen Nakrosis

Duke Energy Corp. on Wednesday said it was establishing two pilot programs in South Carolina to develop infrastructure for servicing the growing number of electric vehicle on the road.

The company said the programs, which were approved by the Public Service Commission of South Carolina, were originally proposed in 2018, and benefited from working-group sessions and feedback from stakeholders.

Under one program, Duke will install, own and operate 60 fast chargers across its territories. "Fast chargers installed under this program will feature next-generation power output of 100 kilowatts and above, ensuring South Carolina keeps pace with advances in the market," the company said.

The second program will see Duke provide up to $1,000 to 400 Duke Energy Carolinas residential customers who install a Level 2 charging station, provide access to charging data, and who manage their charge loads for off-peak periods.

"Electric vehicles are coming to South Carolina, but more investment is needed to grow the adoption of this evolving technology and the benefits it brings to the state," said Mike Callahan, Duke Energy's South Carolina president. "We're listening to our customers to ensure we understand their electrification plans and needs. These pilot programs will help prepare us to meet the challenge to ensure we can keep up with increasing demand for electrification."

Duke said the three-year pilot programs are slated to begin Jan. 1 of next year.

Write to Stephen Nakrosis at stephen.nakrosis@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

10-07-20 1218ET