Next summer, Southern California electric car owners will be able to drive farther, use less gas and keep the air cleaner when they head for three state beaches in Orange County, thanks to a $25,000 grant from Edison International, parent company of Southern California Edison (SCE).

Adopt a Charger, the nonprofit organization that received the grant, will use the money to install free charging stations at Bolsa Chica State Beach, Huntington State Beach and Crystal Cove State Park.

“We appreciate Edison International’s generous contribution to this effort to help people get more gas-free miles out of their cars and reduce carbon emissions when they visit California state parks and beaches,” said Kitty Adams, executive director of the Torrance-based Adopt a Charger, a nonprofit dedicated to the proliferation of fee-free electric car chargers as a way to get more people into electric vehicles.

“The grassroots enthusiasm of organizations like Adopt a Charger is the catalyst for the widespread adoption of electric cars across the country,” said Ed Kjaer, SCE director of Transportation Electrification. “The easier it is to find a charging station, the more people will want to own electric cars.”

The money provided by Edison International is a matching contribution to a larger grant from the California Energy Commission to install electric vehicle chargers at California state parks and beaches. The chargers will help the state achieve the goals of its "Cool Parks" Initiative, a program that identifies and addresses the emerging environmental threats to the resources of the state park system.

“We welcome the opportunity to help electric vehicle owners get more out of their cars by allowing them to plug in when they visit some of the most beautiful and treasured natural and cultural resources in the country,” said Tammy Tumbling, SCE director of Philanthropy and Community Investment.

The charging stations are expected to be installed next spring.

Bolsa Chica State Beach and Huntington State Beach both border Huntington City Beach, site of the Huntington Beach Pier and the famed U.S. Open of Surfing. Once so notorious for litter that it earned the nickname “Tin Can Beach,” Bolsa Chica State Beach is now a destination for surfing and fishing. Crystal Cove State Park is located between Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach and includes Crystal Cove Historic District, an enclave of 46 vintage rustic beach cottages built in the 1930s and 1940s.

To learn more about Edison International’s Philanthropy and Community Investment program, visit www.edison.com/community.