Madison, Wisconsin – A demonstration project by Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) of Wisconsin will create a series of electric vehicle charging stations that will have emissions offset through renewable energy, and provide users with options that extend the range and use of their electric vehicles.

MGE, which purchased the stations from Carbon Day Automotive of Chicago, said that the project is the first of its kind in the U.S. Only a handful of public vehicle charging systems are in place throughout the world.

MGE plans to install the first charging unit this summer, and have the network up and operating by early next year. Last year, the utility purchased one of the state’s first plug-in hybrid cars, and this summer it will install vehicle-to-grid technology in a new Ford Escape plug-in hybrid, making it “Smart Grid” ready. This technology allows the vehicle to recharge at lower power demand times, and can also be discharged to supply the grid with power during peak power demand hours.