Georgia Power and PowerSecure develop smart fleet electrification solution
Upgrades will benefit 4 million passengers annually for Chatham Area Transit
Georgia Power and PowerSecure have announced a custom-designed fleet electrification solution for the Chatham Area Transit Authority (CAT), which serves the greater Savannah, Georgia area.
In May 2020, CAT was awarded a $1.87 million grant from the Federal Transportation Authority (FTA). The grant included six electric bus charging stations, as well as infrastructure upgrades to its bus depot facility.
CAT enlisted the help of Georgia Power and PowerSecure to develop a custom-designed solution to meet the community’s evolving transportation needs. A key component is buses must run irregular routes, for public safety and special event purposes. This irregular route structure precipitated the need for developing a mobile charging solution. In partnership with PowerSecure, Georgia Power provided all the depot electrical infrastructure upgrades, while contracting with PowerSecure to develop and provide a mobile bus charging unit.
The project achieved commercial operation March 9.
“This project is a testament to Southern Company’s continued investment in building the future of energy,” said Eric Dupont, chief commercial officer at PowerSecure. “This was a great collaborative effort between Georgia Power and PowerSecure teams to deliver this customized solution and provide significant value to CAT, which serves the heart of the greater Savannah community, with a sustainable solution for the ‘electrification of everything.’ This turnkey program provides clean and reliable transportation to nearly 4 million passengers annually.”
CAT has a long history of using electricity to help residents and visitors get to their destination. The authority roots date back to Savannah’s electric streetcars in the late 19th century. Today, CAT embraces that tradition by meeting the area’s public transportation needs with a modern fleet of accessible vehicles designed to serve all people.