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This is the Vermont Public Utility Commission's annual report on electric rates for EVs. The report includes information on EV-specific utility rates and programs, progress on rate design, and barriers to implementation. In this report, additional barriers are identified such as the lack of AMI, rapidly changing technology and platforms, technology and metering costs, lack of rate coverage for multi-family residences, low EV adoption in rural areas, and discouragement of DCFC implementation due to demand charges.

This guidebook outlines policies to prepare the grid for at-scale EV adoption, provide thirteen specific policy recommendations across four pillars: fully planning for transportation electrification, maximizing existing built infrastructure, removing barriers to quickly building EV chargers, and updating the utility regulatory model for the 21st century. Transportation electrification planning should (1) cover short-term, long-term, and integrated planning while also (2) utilizing interagency coordination and stakeholder engagement. To maximize existing infrastructure, decision makers should (3) design rates to realize savings and reduce expensive peaks, (4) integrate distributed generation and load management, (5) improve grid transparency and data access, and (6) establish compensation structure and standardization for bidirectional charging. Regulators and utilities can reduce barriers by (7) updating interconnection and energization processes, (8) streamlining permitting processes, (9) implementing demand charge alternatives, and (10) reducing site deployment delays and costs via make-ready infrastructure. Finally, the utility regulatory model should consider (11) anticipatory capital deployment, (12) public-private partnerships, and (13) utility business model reform specific to transportation electrification.

This legislative report covers EV rate design; under state law, utilities must adopt EV rates by July 2024. Of the eight affected utilities, two had existing EV rates, three received extensions for implementation, one received approval for a new EV rate, one has an EV rate under review, and one was found to not be subject to the requirement. Additionally, the report included the following challenges and barriers to EV rate design: demand charges; charging at multifamily residences at lower-cost rates; and consumer understanding and participation in whole-premises time-of-use rates.

This report outlines model policies for clean transportation, including single-family charging, multi-family charging, alternative charging solutions, EVs for gig drivers, and equitable road revenue. States like Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and Washington offer various incentive programs to help with EV affordability. For single-family charging, the report calls out Peninsula Clean Energy’s EV Ready program, Commonwealth Edison’s EV charger and installation rebate, and Consumers Energy’s PowerMIDrive home charger installation rebate. For multi-family charging, it calls out the city of Ann Arbor’s commercial EV charger program and the statewide Charge Vermont rebate program. For alternative charging solutions, it notes the city of Portland’s master lease agreement for EV charging, which allows EV charging companies to lease locations in the public right-of-way for public Level 2 EVSE. It specifically targets areas underserved by EV infrastructure and imposes strict uptime and maintenance standards. For gig drivers, Ride Clean Mass provides rebates to vehicle-for-hire drivers to switch to EVs, while the Burlington Electric Department offers high-mileage income-eligible food delivery and ride-hailing drivers incentives for EVs. For equitable road revenue, it outlines EV registration fees (in 33 states), indexed and variable fuel taxes (in California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and North Carolina), tolling in congestion pricing (Indiana), and mileage-based user fees (Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, Virginia).

This study assesses a four-year U.S. Department of Energy-supported Smart Charge Management (SCM) pilot conducted by the Maryland Exelon Utilities. It examines the SCM pilot's impact on managing peak demand, deferring infrastructure upgrades, and reducing grid constraints at the feeder level. The study found that feeder-level conditions play a crucial role in SCM effectiveness. Most feeders benefited more from load balancing, while time-of-use-based (TOU-based) SCM was still sufficient for some others. Load balancing reduced peak charging loads by slightly more than TOU-based SCM on average. In terms of operational and financial measures, load balancing consistently reduced peak charging loads and resulting infrastructure upgrade costs at a rate slightly higher than TOU-based SCM. The study also estimated hundreds of millions of dollars of load balancing and TOU-based SCM potential to defer total system-level upgrade costs; however, this general trend did not always hold across specific utility territories. The authors highlighted the importance of tailored, data-driven SCM solutions that align with local grid conditions.

This report analyzes where to upgrade the grid to accommodate EV load growth via a distribution asset capacity analysis and an investment strategy analysis. Overall, rapid EV load growth will necessitate grid upgrades in some areas, but upgrades could be delayed by implementing load management measures. Grid impacts will depending on EV adoption rates, non-EV load growth, and current available grid capacity. Proactive investments would provide long-term economic benefits to ratepayers, particularly when paired with larger one-time upgrades, a high likelihood of EV growth, and demand-side management strategies. Utilities should integrate high-resolution EV load forecasting and pursue proactive investments in near-term growth hot spots; regulators should update planning frameworks to allow and encourage proactive investments backed by robust data; consumer advocates should engage in grid planning proceedings to support both cost savings and expanded charging access; and state and local governments should use open-access tools to facilitate coordination with utilities and regulators.

This report lays out key recommendations for policymakers, utilities, and regulators to proactively prepare the grid for medium and heavy-duty and bus electrification.

The report explores challenges related to forecasting EV adoption, characterizing their locational and temporal impacts, identifying mitigations to avoid the largest impacts, and developing roadmaps and grid plans. It concludes with four priority actions that can be taken today: improving forecasting, embracing smart charging, incorporating future-ready equipment, and promoting proactive upgrades.

This report assessed Delaware's existing electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), gaps in EVSE availability, and strategies to deploy EVSE. It provided an assessment of Delaware's current charging network, forecasted EV adoption throughout 2032, and estimated a need for 821 DCFC ports and 12,313 public Level 2 ports to fully support ZEVs delivered to Delaware by 2032. The report then identifies which zip codes should be prioritized for funding based on EV adoption levels, existing charging network sites, multifamily housing density, and equity factors.

The Clean Transportation Plan provides a coordinated strategy for accelerating decarbonization in the transportation sector. Five workgroups contributed to the report: Light-Duty Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEVs), Medium- and Heavy-Duty ZEVs, Fleet Transition, Vehicle Miles Traveled Reduction, and Clean Transportation Infrastructure. The plan identifies near-term strategies and actions organized around four focus areas: Infrastructure, Funding and Finance, Communications and Engagement, and Governance.

As adoption of EVs increases across the United States and charging equipment to power vehicles is installed, the electricity system, states, utilities, EV manufacturers, EV supply equipment (EVSE) manufacturers, and stakeholders are grappling with how to ensure smooth integration of these resources. Interoperability ensures that communication, coordination, and integration of devices, such as EVSE, are integrated efficiently and effectively.

This report summarizes the Smart Charge Management Pilot for Baltimore Gas & Electric, Delmarva Power & Light, and Pepco in Maryland. The pilot focused on how to manage EV charging to reduce stress on the grid, and it explored cybersecurity and managed charging functionality of vendor platforms, customer enrollment scenarios, customer engagement strategies, and pilot program implementation. The pilot tested three charging strategies: static off-peak shifting, price-optimized charging, and distribution load balancing. Both time-of-use pricing and load balancing defer distribution upgrades compared to unmanaged charging, with time-of-use performing better at lower enrollment levels and load balancing performing better as enrollment increases. Over four years, utilities found that presenting multiple managed charging options maximizes customer enrollment and satisfaction. Utilities should engage stakeholders early and often to implement programs, and dynamic managed charging should be the new standard for EV integration.

This study identifies strategies to reduce transportation-related fossil fuel demand and emissions. It characterizes the current state of transportation and policy in California, considers different carbon scenarios and policy options, examines reducing and electrifying vehicle miles traveled, and provides an analysis of external costs and benefits. The study overall finds that cost-effective pathways to carbon-neutral transportation in California exist, but that they will require significant acceleration in a wide variety of policies.

This white paper explores managed charging programs from five utilities. The analysis looks at customer class, passive versus active charging, enrollment strategies, incentive structures, and program outcomes. Best practices for reaching the right customers include using all available market channels, leveraging strategic partnerships, mapping EV load impacts, engaging EV owners early in their ownership, and cross-promoting with other distributed generation and demand response programs. Best practices for customer enrollment include clear and focused communication on customer value, maximizing participation eligibility, offering meaningful incentives, and simplifying enrollment. Best practices for sustained participation include maintaining regular user-friendly communication, encouraging year-round engagement, providing ongoing incentives, gamifying participation, and offering referral incentives.

This report focuses on EV deployment for low-to-moderate income residents in Connecticut, suggesting three options for shared electric mobility. Microtransit would provide pooled, on-demand transportation without fixed routes. Carsharing would provide hourly and daily rentals of light-duty EVs. Micromobility would provide bike sharing (traditional and electric) and electric scooter programs. The report provided a financial analysis of all three programs. Utilities can provide support via customer education, make-ready and charging infrastructure investments, financial incentives, EV rates, managed charging, or vehicle-to-grid applications. The report also reviewed best practices for equity-focused programs, which included early community engagement, physical and financial accessibility to vehicles, early program organization and coordination, sufficient funding and staffing, and identifying sites for program deployment and charging infrastructure.

In this paper, the Alliance for Transportation Electrification proposes ratemaking and rate design principles applicable to transportation electrification where state commissions have authority to approve both investor-owned utility rates and rate design.

This study provides an assessment of the current market for EVs in Ohio, and assesses the future needs for EV charging, primarily within Ohio's highway corridors. The study includes a map which shows the most ideal locations for twenty-four public DCFC station locations along interstates, US highways, and state route corridors to ensure EV charging opportunities at least every 50 miles. The map also shows ideal locations for nineteen public Level 2 charging locations to allow visitors to travel directly to and from attractions and charge while visiting the attraction, plus seventeen public Level 2 charging locations at Department of Transportation facilities.

EVs are an increasingly important component of many state and federal efforts to decarbonize both the electric and transportation systems. Although this growth will not be uniform across the country and some states will move faster than others, the need for charging infrastructure will be vital to the widespread adoption of EVs. As cars are driven across utility service territories and state borders, ensuring that EV owners can charge their vehicles reliably is critical. To enable widespread charging for customers and a consistent and reliable experience across vehicle manufacturers, charging station developers, and utility territories, it is essential to adopting industry standards that emphasize interoperability by all actors.

This issue brief provides an overview of EV interoperability benefits and opportunities, describes where in the charging ecosystem interoperability is relevant and what standards are available, and includes a snapshot of recent state public utility commission actions to ensure interoperability in charging infrastructure.

This roadmap is a policy framework to accelerate EV adoption in Connecticut. The roadmap includes an array of policy recommendations related to public and private fleets, medium- and heavy-duty vehicle electrification, utilizing data to inform infrastructure siting and planning, ownership and investment models for public charging infrastructure, residential charging, workplace charging, fleet charging, consistency of the consumer charging experience, minimizing grid impacts and maximizing grid benefits through demand reduction measures, demand charges, building codes and permitting requirements, innovation, leveraging incentives to promote equity and affordability, education and outreach, and the Volkswagen settlement.

NARUC released an issue brief on EVs and the important role of public utility commissions. Electric Vehicles: Key Trends, Issues, and Considerations for State Regulators examines trends in EV adoption, provides a synopsis of the types of decisions commissions are facing, and offers examples of recent state regulatory approaches to EV questions. The issue brief outlines the key issues and perspectives that commissions are likely to hear from stakeholders. Topics include who may own charging infrastructure, how to encourage charging during off-peak hours through rate design and managed charging, and emerging issues.

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of electricity used as vehicle fuel infrastructure opportunities and barriers; develop a roadmap with policy and funding recommendations for sustainable transportation funding mechanisms; and research and analyze legislation and policy made in other states to determine equitable and comprehensive fuel assessment methods for EVs. The report adopted six recommendations, including: (1) establish a standard federal purchase exemption for electricity sold as vehicle fuel for vehicles owned and operated by the federal government; (2) modify the public charging excise tax so that public charging station operators will report and remit the tax on a quarterly, rather than monthly, basis; (3) eliminate the sales tax on electricity at public EV charging stations; (4) broaden the public EV excise tax to include Level 2 EV charging stations, the current law will begin the public charging tax at only Level 3 charging stations on July 1, 2027; (5) clarify the definition of public charging station to include any station where a fee is charged that is available to the general public and should consider using a different term than "public" to reduce confusion; (6) index the public charging excise tax rate to inflation to increase at the same rate as the excise tax on gasoline. Additionally, two recommendations were not adopted by the Working Group. The recommendations that were not adopted include: eliminate the public EV charging excise tax and apply a fuel tax only to public EV charging stations that meet the defined utilization-rate benchmark or delay the electricity as vehicle fuel tax until 2035.

The report indicated that it is highly likely that Washington can cost effectively electrify nearly all public vehicle procurements by 2035. The report estimates that of the more than 6,000 vehicles belonging to public fleets in operation throughout the state, more than 1,650 can be electrified cost effectively today by prioritizing medium- and heavy-duty transit buses and light-duty vehicles for state agencies. The report also determined that charging infrastructure represents a small but critical portion of total electrification costs, and would likely have a minimal impact on the electrical grid. The report presents a range of recommendations for accelerating the electrification of the public fleet.

This report assess barriers and solutions for the deployment of medium- and heavy-duty (MHD) charging stations, including public charging and semi-public/shared charging. It identifies five barriers to MHD deployment, each with their own targeted solutions: high upfront vehicle costs limiting charging demand and utilization rates; overly prescriptive/complex program design; grid interconnection delays and capacity uncertainty; electric rate structures misaligned with truck charging load profiles; and fragmented/opaque local permitting processes. Solutions cover issues like financial incentives, fuel standards, demand aggregation, performance-based programs, cross-jurisdictional standardization, flexible service connections, interconnection reform, on-site resources, rate design, local permitting, and local zoning.

This report looks broadly at School Bus Distribution from an equity lens. It includes two sections on: 1. What are the emerging trends related to financial, infrastructure, and utility support for elecric school bus adoption? 2. Implications and recommendations related to utility and statewide equitable school bus adoption. It is meant for policymakers and regulators alike.

The report begins with a brief overview of traditional transportation planning, new models of planning that integrate shared mobility, and the role of utilities in equitable EV shared mobility programs. It goes on to review case studies of five programs that feature public-private partnerships and utility support. Based on these case studies, the report provides recommendations to enable the build-out of more equitable EV shared mobility programs.

This paper explores solutions for utilities to overcome the time and cost required to upgrade the distribution grid in light of new load, including transportation electrification. Utilities can implement: (1) decision support systems like hosting capacity maps, advisory services, capacity checks, and service sizing refinements; (2) bridge-to-wires solutions like mobile assets, phased service connections, and flexible service connections; and (3) long-term load flexibility, which is not currently implemented in the US To explore these options, utilities should: (1) identify specific challenges, (2) develop tailored solutions; (3) evolve technologies, analysis, and operational readiness; (4) consider necessary tariff rules and changes; (5) design for success; and (6) share data and lessons learned. Regulators, meanwhile, should: (1) proactively address the topic; (2) accelerate the process and be flexible; (3) support targeted utility research and development; (4) consider cost-effectiveness; (5) address cost allocation and recovery; and (6) obtain data and lessons learned.

This study identifies strategies to strategically and responsibly manage the decline of transportation-related fossil fuel supply. It combines a comprehensive synthesis of existing knowledge with statistical and numerical methods to generate projections of decarbonization scenarios to 2045. It then pairs models of oil extraction and refining with an atmospheric transport model to determine which parts of California are exposed to local air pollution from transportation fuels, and a detailed input-output employment model to quantify employment impacts. Within this modeling structure, the paper develops a conceptual framework for analyzing certain equity, health and labor market impacts of decarbonization.

This distribution system modeling study analyzed the integration of EVs into Puerto Rico's grid. The study found that a decentralized grid would better handle increased penetration of EV chargers than the current centralized grid; a distributed grid would also be cheaper to implement than upgrades to the centralized grid. The analysis looked at the impacts of charger penetration along studied feeders and compared the current distribution system with a distribution system that has integrated 75% distributed energy resources (DERs). The study found that there will be an increase in line losses and voltage violations, and a possible increase in thermal violations. The DER-heavy grid would substantially reduce investment costs across all feeder penetration percentage scenarios and dramatically improve system performance, along with benefits unrelated to charging station penetration.

This guide describes core principles for EV load forecasting. Forecasting is split into four activities - scoping, implementing, reviewing, and applying - which each have their own best practices. The guide outlines the pros and cons of different forecasting methods (including top-down and bottom-up) and provides examples of inputs, assumptions, methods, and outputs for each step in the modeling process.

Rapid growth in EV adoption has raised the question of how EVs affect the electricity rates paid by all households, including those that do not own EVs. To answer this question, Synapse compared the electric utility revenues from EV charging with utility costs associated with serving EV load, including the costs of utility EV programs. The results of the analysis indicate that, since 2011, EVs have contributed much more in utility revenues than costs. Because of this, EVs have helped apply downward pressure on rates.

This legislative report discusses the state’s public EV fast-charging network and its progress toward meeting statewide goals and the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program plan. The report outlines the funding required to achieve these objectives and notes that, despite challenges with the NEVI program, the Agency opened the first NEVI-funded charging locations in the country and upgraded an existing site to meet NEVI standards. The Agency also plans to use remaining NEVI and Carbon Reduction Program funds to deploy charging upgrades at additional sites.

This report listed the various reasons why it may be difficult for residential renters to access personal charging, such as: standardized building codes; lack of commitments from business owners to build chargers; lack of supportive utility infrastructure; and concerns regarding a lack of standardized charging ports. After noting these barriers, the report discusses that mandates or actions to reduce these barriers may actually lead to increased cost or burden on business owners, landlords, and renters by increasing administrative burden and infrastructure costs. The report concludes that the current limited opportunities for residential rental property charging is only a "slight problem," and will resolve itself as electric vehicle charging becomes more economical.

This whitepaper introduces and elaborates on three key concepts: dynamic operating envelopes, flexible interconnection, and flexible service connections. This paper aims to inform regulatory decision-making processes by presenting emerging flexible connection strategies and case examples. Additionally, this paper provides a strategic framework for managing distribution networks to enhance DER integration and electrification, ultimately moving towards a more complete orchestration of DER and EV charging.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Office of Energy published the final Florida EV Roadmap — a planning resource for utilities and regulators to identify grid impacts from EV charging infrastructure, locate coverage gaps, and address technical and regulatory barriers to charging expansion, with recommendations covering permitting standardization, multi-family charging guidance, and priority deployment in disadvantaged and rural communities.

This brief dives into “flexible service connections” (FSC) for medium- and heavy-duty (MHD) charging depots. This policy allows charging loads to connect sooner/with less pre-interconnection studies, in return for limiting charging during constrained peak hours; when referring to distributed generation, this policy is often called flexible interconnection. Most fleets can comply with FSC requirements without impacting operations. FSC can accelerate energization timelines for MHD fleets, save money on site upgrade costs, and enable utilities to grow their customer base with existing infrastructure. Pacific Gas & Electric’s FlexConnect program allowed a PepsiCo bottling facility to saver $1 million in fuel costs and avoid 8,000 tons of CO2 emissions. Southern California Edison’s Load Control Management System pilot allowed Terawatt to accelerate a new MHD charging site by using Terawatt’s proprietary charge management system.  If scaled correctly, this method could theoretically cover all of California’s expected MHD load with no grid upgrades. To implement FSC connection agreements, regulators must address tariff and program rules; customer protections; cost recovery and cost allocation; curtailment communication and enforcement; and the duration and purpose of the arrangement. While few states and utilities implement FSC for fleets, the California Public Utilities Commission mandated their expansion in early 2026. Utilities must make their pilots into permanent, standardized offering.

This resource shows the slides from a medium-heavy-duty EV Workshop at the 2024 NARUC Winter Policy Summit. The Workshop explored near-term challenges and promising approaches to medium and heavy-duty charging infrastructure planning. It also discussed strategies to energize charging infrastructure quickly and identified longer-term capacity needs, data, and planning with tools such as EPRI’s eRoadMAP.

This report provides guidance for residential bidirectional EV charging. When first considering bidirectional charging, regulations should codify definitions, support utility pilot programs, update energization and interconnection rules, establish adaptable interconnection pathways, review and adjust interconnection fees, and advanced rate and market participation reforms. Regulators should act while EV adoption is still low and determine the grid implications of energization and interconnection pathways for vehicle-to-home systems.

This white paper assesses solutions to bridge the timeline gap between EV fleet procurement and energization of fleet charging stations, particularly for large fleets or medium- and heavy-duty fleets with high energy needs. It outlines factors affecting the timeline mismatch, best practices for energization, and the impacts of utility service capacity on EV deployment. Interim solutions include utilizing spare capacity to power temporary EV chargers, allowing construction service for short-term power needs, or deploying distributed generation on the customer or utility side to power the chargers. Long-term solutions include improving the administrative process to shorten the energization timeline, bringing it closer to the EV procurement timeline.

This paper surveys various mechanisms to encourage customer participation in managed charging programs, including time-of-use rate design to incentivize off-peak charging; opt-out participation mechanisms; program data collection and reporting; and utility rebates and programs.

This brief examines how electrification can counterbalance rising utility costs if EV load is managed efficiently. Increased electricity sales from EV charging can generate utility revenue without proportional cost increases, leading to lower rates for all customers. These rate benefits can be maximized when paired with managed charging, appropriate rate design, and utility EV programs.

This paper describes various approaches to managed charging for residential and commercial customers, including innovative rate design and incentive programs that encourage off-peak charging. Time-of-use rates can encourage both types of customer to charge off-peak; demand charges can provide additional encouragement for commercial customers, but the paper recommends demand charges be implemented in stages to ensure commercial customers can bear the cost. Other rate designs include subscription rates, rates targeting low-load customers, rates specialized for the type of commercial customer (e.g. fleets, public charging), or demand rates with demand charge thresholds. When designing a managed charging program, the decision to use passive or active charging will result in different technological requirements (e.g. smart meters, vehicle telematics) and incentive mechanisms for the program.

This paper describes Argonne National Laboratory's workplace EV charging program, which, since October 2023, has allowed lab employees to reserve charging station access through a mobile app. Employees originally paid a monthly fee to participate in the program, but the program recently switched to a per-kWh fee. In July 2024, the program deployed smart charge management to optimize EV charging based on site, power, pricing constraints, and solar forecasts. For companies, utilities, or regulators that want to implement a similar program, they should: (1) understand employee charging behaviors; (2) utilize a user-friendly interface; (3) plan for maintenance; (4) design a pricing structure; (5) incentive smart charge management participation; (6) standardize driver input; (7) understand user charging needs and expectations; (8) balance employee needs with managed charging objectives; (9) use machine learning to improve program efficacy; (10) ensure fair charger access; and (11) utilize collected data for future charger locations.

This report offers a broad view of Michigan's grid and power system. Chapter 8 focuses specifically on EVs and transportation electrification. The report identifies barriers to EV technology, such as business models, rate design, and the perception of grid impacts. It then makes recommendations to overcome these barriers, including increased coordination between state governments, auto manufacturers, utilities, and EV charging providers in order to standardize EV charging systems and minimize barriers to EV charging.

This mini guide describes the unique and vital roles State Energy Offices, Public Utility Commissions, and Departments of Transportation, as well as State Environmental Agencies, Consumer Advocates, and other important state-level partners each have to support the ambitious EV adoption goals in many states and implement EV rollout.

Momentum for the EV transition is well underway, and the utility sector plays an important role in supporting its success. For frontline communities, the transition offers a promising solution to improve environmental and public health outcomes, economic development, affordability, and transit equity. However, the transition will need to involve care and intention to ensure that the needs of underserved communities are prioritized throughout the planning, decision-making, and implementation processes. States — through public utility commissions and other state agencies — have taken the lead in some cases, as describe in this paper. Whether driven by state commissions or utilities themselves, utilities have a range of options available to ensure equity is central in their transportation electrification plans and programs by drawing from a variety of existing and emerging experiences.

This issue brief provides an overview of the utility programs and business models that are intended to center equity and captures key considerations for state utility regulators around these models.

To guide utility plans for new EV infrastructure, researchers assessed EV adoption in five U.S. states illustrative of the nation’s diverse urban/rural populations, state-level EV policies, freight travel demands, and electrical grid composition. This study estimates the investments in charging and electrical infrastructure needed to support EV adoption, and explores strategies to integrate load, and the overall benefits to consumers.

This resource shows the slide deck from a 2023 NARUC Annual meeting Workshop on Transportation Electrification Planning. The Workshop identified lessons learned from practical examples of Transportation Electrification planning and developed promising approaches for active transportation electrification planning processes across states.

State public utility commissions will play a critical role in NEVI as they oversee utility investments in this new national charging network, ideally ensuring that utilities deploy infrastructure and technology that is efficient, reliable, safe, and supports the scale and timeframe required to benefit consumers. This NEVI Brief provides essential information on NEVI along with considerations and potential roles for public utility commissions.

The National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy (Strategy) guides infrastructure deployment to meet growing market demands; catalyze public and private investment; and support utility and regulatory planning and action at local, state, and regional levels. This Strategy lays out an all of-government approach to aligning investments and accelerating sustainable and scalable deployment of reliable ZE-MHDV infrastructure. Regulators play an important role in this strategy.

This report investigates and makes recommendations for new commercial electric vehicle (EV) charging tariffs. By analyzing the impacts of new EV loads on utilities and different rate structures on customers, the authors lay out load profiles, costs of service, and rate design options. The report recommends that utilities create custom rates based on their unique considerations.

This study offers a framework for evaluating the impact of the Advanced Clean Truck rule and other medium- and heavy-duty vehicle electrification policies, and a path to begin preparing the electricity grid for widespread fleet electrification in a given state. Each step of the framework includes case studies for Pennsylvania and Illinois, where the framework was applied.

This document is primarily intended to be a resource for utilities, regulators, and other stakeholders as they engage in utility transportation electrification (TE) plan development and evaluation by highlighting strong program designs from around the country and proposing best practices for different components of a utility TE plan. The document identifies the different categories of investment and programs in a typical TE plan, describes innovative programs approved across the country (with accompanying links), and proposes best practices to maximize program participation and public benefits.

SEPA shares learnings from a project that details steps for charging providers, fleet operators, and utilities to facilitate a smoother EV transition.

The purpose of this guide is to identify some of the key areas where electric companies and their customers can work together to streamline the fleet electrification process. This guide is applicable to any company that operates a fleet, but it is particularly focused on medium- and heavy-duty vehicle fleets that likely will have higher power charging needs. This guide is organized around 10 key things that companies considering plugging in their fleets should know about electric companies and fleet electrification.

This paper reviews state efforts to manage distribution system capacity and planning in light of EV load growth, specifically to avoid or reduce delays for energizing EV charging stations while providing a cost-effective long-term grid buildout. These proactive investment strategies include forecasting improvements, revisions to investment criteria, and balancing capacity growth with cost containment. State commissions are (1) considering additional data sets and methodologies that account for EV adoption trends; (2) identifying and coordinating proactive planning forecasts and approaches in other planning areas; (3) mitigating the risk of stranded assets; and (4) considering diversity in customer project type and charging application when assessing risks.

This policy brief examines the DCFC rate design from a recent Duke Energy Carolinas proposal for Hourly Pricing and compares it to Demand charges and other similar charges from other states.

This topic brief focuses on rate design for medium- and heavy-duty EV fleets. While demand charges are common for commercial customers, they can prohibit EV fleet adoption while not reducing grid strain. Instead, utilities should switch from demand charges to simplified time-of-use rates and offer critical peak pricing along with standard time-of-use rates. For a demand charge alternative, utilities could implement a temporary pause on demand charges during initial EV adoption or institute fixed monthly subscription charges based on expected charging load. To incentivize off-peak charging, utilities could provide incentives through managed charging demand response programs. For vehicle-to-grid, utilities should use existing processes to improve bidirectional charging, implement vehicle-to-grid rates. and ensure technical interoperability.

This report summarizes opinions on eight specific issues: (1) grid integration and resource planning to facilitate electrified transportation; (2) the interaction between transportation electrification and the electric power grid; (3) regulatory policies to support efficient and cost-effective transition to electric transportation; (4) the need for data management and coordination among a number of energy system participants; (5) grid investments that support EV deployments as a part of planned modernization efforts to enable an efficient and cost-effective transition to electric transportation; (6) increased EV adoption and the development of their charging infrastructure and how those advancements align with grid modernization efforts; (7) whether rate designs and other load management strategies are appropriate to mitigate potential negative grid impacts and maximize potential grid benefits of transportation electrification; and (8) other critical issues related to transportation electrification, such as service reliability, privacy, affordability, and security.

This report discusses electric rates for EVs in Vermont. The report details progress on EV rates and EVSE, as well as the barriers to EV rate implementation. Barriers include the cost of purchasing and installing designated equipment; the rapidly changing EV and EVSE technology market; administrative and technological utility costs; lack of universal broadband. Finally, the report also describes different EV-specific utility rates and programs, and the various utility-selected projects related to EVs.

This report analyzes residential EV time-varying rates based on survey results from customers and utilities and identifies factors that increase rate enrollment. To collect insights on residential EV time-varying rates implemented to date, SEPA worked with The Brattle Group to develop and administer a survey for U.S. utilities that had a qualified rate in-place for at least one year. In addition, to collect insights from EV drivers on time-varying rates, SEPA co-developed a survey with Enel X which was distributed nationwide to the company’s JuiceNet-enabled charging station customers.

This assessment provides utilities and regulators with a data-driven roadmap for addressing the state's growing EV charging loads through 2035. The report identifies priority investment areas — including fast charging along secondary corridors, on-street charging for residents without off-street parking, and fleet electrification — while emphasizing equitable deployment in Environmental Justice communities, rural areas, and multi-unit dwellings. Additionally, the report states that while federal funding becoming less reliable, the Assessment equips planners with the projections and recommendations needed to proactively scale infrastructure, improve grid readiness, and ensure Massachusetts remains competitive in attracting EV fleets and capturing the clean energy benefits of electrification.

LBNL has developed a database of piloted, proposed, and offered rates among U.S. investor-owned utilities (IOUs) between 2012 and 2022. The database is comprised of 217 electric utility retail rates from IOUs in 37 states and the District of Columbia that either required proof of EV ownership or were otherwise designed for the purposes of reselling energy for use in EV charging (i.e., EV-specific rates).

This report provides a combined total of twenty-seven recommendations from five EV working groups, and a series of next steps organized into four categories: a statewide EV awareness effort to be undertaken by the South Carolina State Energy Office, a statewide public-private collaboration, a statewide electrification roadmap, and legislative considerations and actions. Each of these categories is further subdivided into subcategories.

An overview of the bidirectional charging industry. An interview series with utilities, vehicle manufacturers, software providers, and other industry stakeholders Insights into the opportunities and barriers that exist to wide-scale adoption of bidirectional charging technologies.

This study surveys and characterizes the scope of current technical and programmatic knowledge pertaining to EV charge management technologies and practices in the US and relevant international jurisdictions. This characterization of existing field demonstrations and the associated knowledge derived were used to determine gaps in the charge management demonstration landscape.

The Regulatory Assistance Project released this paper to elaborate on regulator actions from around the country after meeting with fellow agencies and stakeholders to learn about transportation electrification and the various issues that will need to be addressed to promote beneficial outcomes and avoid unnecessary challenges. Looks at these efforts and identifies insights and lessons learned by utility commissions across the country that are taking their first steps.

This report guides energy regulators, utilities, and policymakers on reducing Massachusetts' peak demand through 2050 via passive and active load management strategies. Managed EV charging is the standout near-term opportunity: shifting charging to off-peak hours through utility programs, time-of-use rates, and vehicle-to-X technologies cuts peak demand, saves customers money, and avoids costly grid upgrades. States that act quickly gain lower electricity costs, reduced infrastructure investment, and clean energy progress; meanwhile, delays put these benefits at risk, as the window to shape EV load growth is time-sensitive. The report recommended scaling EV load management as a no-regrets strategy, aligning incentives with actual grid value to avoid shifting costs to non-participating customers.

The report equips state policymakers and utilities with a comprehensive strategic framework covering grid readiness for growing EV charging loads, infrastructure investment priorities, EV market development, and transportation funding mechanisms to support long-term fleet electrification goals.

This report aims to provide an overview of major developments in the EV-managed charging landscape that has occurred since the publication of the 2019 SEPA report “A Comprehensive Guide to EV Managed Charging.” New readers are encouraged to review the introductory chapter of the 2019 report for a basic overview of managed charging. The 2021 report provides an update on the utility perspective on managed charging and what has shifted since 2019, a review of existing managed charging programs, an update on managed charging technology and vendors, and a set of managed charging case studies that highlight the major advances made since 2019.

This report focused on Advanced Clean Cars II adoption, equipping policymakers and utilities with strategies to accelerate EV uptake — including purchase rebates, low-income charging incentives, and permitting streamlining — while documenting significant EV registration growth in Maine between 2015 and 2024.

This report outlines the challenges facing utilities and regulators when it comes to EV load growth. Currently, grid infrastructure deployment is too slow to provide electric service for growing EV loads, due to project and market uncertainties, the existing regulatory paradigm, and utility and regulatory aversion to risk. Regulators can support utility response to EV load growth by setting grid planning guidance, establishing desired outcomes, and approving proactive grid investments. The report provides six building blocks to address these barriers: (1) planning against long-term EV market expectations; (2) improving load forecasting; (3) prioritizing efficient, cost-effective use of existing distribution infrastructure; (4) aligning grid connection with customer needs; (5) improving risk sharing and mitigation; and (6) enabling accountable, longer-term utility capital investments.

This report focuses on the state of Electric Transportation in the Southeast broadly. However, it also includes an update on utility investments and public utility commission decisions. It is updated annually.

This study analyzes the impact of vehicle charging flexibility on reducing Colorado's grid infrastructure costs. According to the analysis, charging flexibility can save $100 to $300 million annually by 2035 and $200 to $900 annually by 2050. Savings come from two areas - avoided transmission & distribution costs and avoided generation capacity costs. In the future, managed charging programs should first focus on residential customers. Programs should be customer-focused and be paired with complementary tariffs. Programs should be well-integrated into utility operating systems and planning processes.

This paper outlines the challenges and solutions to collecting data on commercial EVSE usage. Barriers include contracting, software platforms, process development, data transfer between entities, customer experience, utility personnel time/use of resources, ambiguity of purpose, and complexity of data collection. To avoid these pitfalls, best practices include: (1) developing clarity around the purpose of data collection and its costs and benefits; (2) program design elements that can facilitate easier data collection; (3) sufficient program budget to support robust data collection; (4) the use of existing frameworks and data specifications; and (5) internal utility processes to ensure ongoing data collection is streamlined. The most influential program design elements are the application/registration portal, EV-only metering, networked EVSE, a qualified product list, the data-sharing agreement, and data authorization by site hosts.

Intended for utilities and utility regulators, this toolkit outlines suggested steps utilities should take immediately to start planning for new electric truck and bus fleet loads. It proposes a seven-step planning process—a roadmap—for addressing new electric truck and bus fleet loads. Regions that take the lead in planning will be first to see the benefits of fleet electrification: better air quality, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and new clean energy jobs. Delays could put these benefits at risk as electric fleets will tend to locate in areas that take proactive steps to address these loads.

This short toolkit, as well as the resources at the end of document and in the footnotes, provide a roadmap for proactively beginning the process to address growing electric loads to serve vehicle fleets.

This White Paper focus on both economic and technological aspects of vehicle grid integration. It highlights recent research and regulatory actions, identifies lessons learned and best practices from demonstrations and pilots, and recommends policies to achieve this win-win outcome. The intended audience is utilities, their regulators and governing boards, policymakers, and the broader community of transportation electrification stakeholders.

This report evaluated eight alternative revenue mechanisms for transportation funding, including: gasoline tax indexing; diesel tax indexing; mileage based user fee for light duty vehicles; mileage based user fee for medium and heavy duty vehicles; retail delivery fee; transportation network company fee; miles per gallon-based registration fee; and tire fee. While no recommendations were made, the report did note that potential revenue generation over a ten-year period was likely to increase in some capacity for all measures except gasoline and diesel tax indexing. The report also notes that mileage-based user fees for light duty vehicles has the strongest alignment with the guiding principles and revenue criteria.

The report included a survey covering charging infrastructure, local education agency transportation facility needs, barriers & costs, use of pre-2007 buses, and total cost of ownership formula factors; 77 of 308 agencies responded. Under transportation needs, respondents noted that they lacked the needed facilities to transition to zero emission buses and concerns about facility planning, using buses on extracurricular trips, safety, lack of community support, and grant difficulties. Under costs, respondents had concerns about costs not covered by grant funding, like end-of-life disposal fees, site improvements, electrical costs, infrastructure repairs, training, facilities, and others. If given the ability to apply for a grant that provides full funding, twenty-one respondents would apply within two years, eighteen within five years, and thirty-eight would take longer. Under total cost of ownership (TCO), fifteen respondents previously used a TCO formula when considering purchase, and 48 said they would use the Office's preliminary formula in the future. Additional TCO factors proposed included: charger replacement & infrastructure maintenance, administration costs, downtime due to unreliability or maintenance, spare buses to replace during downtime, training, kWh costs, adverse weather costs, insulated buildings to store buses, and out-of-district charging costs.

This strategy document organizes the zero-emission vehicle market into four pillars: Vehicles, Infrastructure, Workforce, and End User. It argues that the market cannot be fully developed without all four pillars, and identifies metrics for each one to gauge their success. It then establishes roles for various state agencies to support each pillar.