(Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority issued the following news release on July 27,2022.)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., August 10, 2022 /CSRwire/ - Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) officials announced a first-of-its-kind 10-year agreement with Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions, a nonregulated commercial brand of Duke Energy, to install, maintain, and operate electric bus charging infrastructure, the latest step in PSTA’s ongoing mission to transform the fleet to clean and green by 2050.

In December 2021, the PSTA Board of Directors approved a contract with Gillig LLC to purchase 60 all-electric buses and plug-in chargers over the next five years. PSTA currently operates six all-electric buses with 14 buses on order with delivery scheduled throughout 2023.

To accommodate the growing power needs to charge and maintain these buses, PSTA is coordinating with Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions to install, operate, and maintain the electrical infrastructure of 12 electric bus chargers.

“PSTA is committed to the promise of a zero-emissions fleet by 2050,” said Brad Miller, Chief Executive Officer of PSTA. “This exciting partnership with Duke Energy will provide us the power and infrastructure to move closer to that goal.”

Each electric bus is recharged one of three ways: overnight charging, regenerative braking, and on-route charging stations. The battery range averages 200 miles or about 14 hours of operating time on a single charge. PSTA will save about $20,000 each year in diesel fuel costs with each electric bus.

“Pinellas County is pleased to support PSTA’s progress on a transition to a zero-emission fleet and this agreement is a step towards that,” said Pat Gerard, Chair of PSTA’s Board of Directors. “Through this electric infrastructure investment, we are ensuring that Pinellas County residents benefit from cleaner air as we move toward a more sustainable, carbon-free energy system.”

Electric buses cost less to run than diesel, are easier to maintain, and each electric bus reduces 135 tons of carbon emissions from the air per year by providing public transit services as an alternative to personal vehicle use.

“Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions’ long-term investment in PSTA’s electric bus charging infrastructure is helping to put Pinellas County at the forefront of the transition to cleaner energy,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. “We look forward to collaborating with PSTA and other customers to support the electrification of transportation vehicles and continue expanding EV charging across the state.”

Construction is set to begin in early 2023.

ABOUT PSTA: The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority is the public transit provider for Pinellas County, providing more than 12.1 million rides per year. PSTA operates 40 bus and trolley routes with a fleet of 210 vehicles. More information is available at www.psta.net.

ABOUT Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions: Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions is a nonregulated commercial brand of Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) – a Fortune 150 company and one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S. – headquartered in Charlotte, N.C. Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions is a leader in sustainable energy, helping large enterprises reduce power costs, lower emissions, and increase resiliency. The team provides wind, solar, resilient backup power, and managed energy services to over 1,000 projects across the U.S., with a total electric capacity of more than 5,100 megawatts of nonregulated renewable energy. Visit Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions and follow on LinkedIn and YouTube for more information.

PSTA media contact: Stephanie Rank
Office: 727.540.1853
Cell: 727.559.3853
Media line: 800.559.3853

Media contact: Audrey Stasko
Cell: 315.877.3031
Media line: 800.559.3853

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Duke Energy

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 27,600 people.

Duke Energy is executing an ambitious clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company has interim carbon emission targets of at least 50% reduction from electric generation by 2030, 50% for Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 upstream and downstream emissions by 2035, and 80% from electric generation by 2040. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune’s 2023 “World’s Most Admired Companies” list and Forbes’ “World’s Best Employers” list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy’s illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

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