SANTA ROSA, CA - The County of Sonoma, Calif., has installed seven Coulomb Technologies charging stations throughout the county for fleet and consumer use. Sonoma County is now the fourth Bay Area location to deploy Coulomb Technologoies' ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations for electric vehicles (EVs).

Coulomb's charging stations are available to the public during the day, and will be used to charge county fleet vehicles overnight. The charging stations are placed at the following locations:

• Sonoma County Hall of Justice (two stations).

• Sonoma County Administration Center.

• Sonoma County Permit & Resource Development Department.

• Sonoma County Department of Health.

• Sonoma County Human Services Department. 

"We have ambitious goals to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions in Sonoma County,"said Board Chairman Paul Kelley. "Not only are we adding hybrid and electric vehicles to our own fleet, but we hope many other people will begin driving them as well. We want to encourage and support the use of electric vehicles right here in our community," said Kelley.

Sonoma County's EV infrastructure plan has three phases. These first seven stations, along with seven "plug-in" hybrid vehicles, represent Phase 1. Phase 2 provides for 20 more plug-in hybrid conversions and 20 more charging stations by the end of 2009. Phase 3 would result in 50 fully electric vehicles and 80 additional charging stations in fiscal year 2010/11.

Along with several regional partners, Sonoma County has also applied for grant funding to install up to 200 additional stations in the next two years.

"Our vision is to go beyond Santa Rosa, to look at the entire county and install charging stations throughout the county," said Jose Obregon, general services manager for the County of Sonoma. "When we send an employee out to remote locations on county business, they can charge their vehicle at the same time and return on a freshly charged battery - without creating pollution."

To locate available charging stations, visit www.mychargepoint.net and click "Find Stations".