Coulomb Technologies demonstrates plug-in charging station in San Jose.

As part of the Plug-In 2008 Conference in San Jose July 22 through 24, the city is partnering with Coulomb Technologies to demonstrate the latter's charge-up stations, which will hit the marketplace by 2010. The demonstration project is using Saturn Vue Plug-In Hybrids at Coulomb charging stations, but the relationship between Coulomb and the city goes beyond this week's demonstration. San Jose is the first U.S. city to sign a contract with the Campbell, Calif. start-up.

According to Collin O'Mara, the city's cleantech policy strategist, the city is actively trying to build the infrastructure necessary to support the plug-in electric vehicles of the future, and Coulomb charging stations are part of that initiative. Coulomb created the ChargePoint Network, a smart charge station infrastructure, including Smartlet stations, which are easy-to-install 110V charging stations that can be mounted on street lamps, poles and parking lots in public places. The company's  ChargePoint Network Operating System manage the charge stations and utility grid, and provide communication services for consumer subscribers.The plug-in station infrastructure is scalable and is projected to reach national levels with potential customers in Colorado, Texas, Florida, New York and other California cities.

Coulomb is just the latest to benefit from San Jose's decision to serve as a testing ground for new technologies developed in Silicon Valley. "We want to position ourselves as the R&D arm for the country, to help demonstrate the technology that will be available in the next generation, and we want to feed that technology, to encourage early adoption and have the city government be an early partner," O'Mara says.

It's not just about positioning San Jose as a center of innovation, O'Mara adds, but about supporting local companies. "We have a policy in place where we've agreed to test out any new technology our local companies come up with, and they can use those tests to show other people that their technology works, plus if we like it, we'll probably buy it, too," he says. "In general, we want to create as many opportunities for local companies as possible."