Hawaiian Electric Co. is pushing ahead with two initiatives to boost the use of electric vehicles by reducing charging costs.

The state Public Utilities Commission approved the programs, one of which will waive the “demand charge” HECO normally assesses commercial customers when their electricity consumption spikes above a certain threshold, HECO announced Wednesday. The waiver is designed to encourage businesses to provide direct current fast charging stations, which can bring an empty EV battery up to an 80 percent charge in about 30 minutes.

The second program approved by the PUC will allow HECO to install and operate up to 25 publicly accessible fast charging stations across Oahu, Maui County and Hawaii island where drivers will be able to recharge their vehicles for a per-session fee.