Late last year, the City Of Palo Alto, California adopted a policy aimed at solidifying its reputation as a highly eco-friendly municipality. Passed on December 19, 2011, the measure would encourage the installation of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations throughout the area. The city is already home to several EV pioneers, including Better Place.

Debra van Duynhoven, assistant to City Manager James Keene, wrote in a report that the city “recognizes EVs as an important part of the solution for reaching its greenhouse gas emission reduction goal, and so has an interest in encouraging the use of EVs throughout the community.”

The policy included verbiage encouraging partnerships between applicants and the city to create charging stations, providing incentives for customers to charge their vehicles during off-peak hours and providing for a quick and efficient permitting and inspection process. Making the stations aesthetically pleasing was also a high priority.

The City has already installed five electric charging stations at city garages and major employers in the area, such as Stanford Shopping Center and Hewlett-Packard, have already installed charging stations as well. Others are expected to do so in the near future. The California Energy Commission predicts that Palo Alto will be home to 3,000 to 10,000 electric vehicles by 2020.