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Pa. regulators to clarify utility rules for electric car charging

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Pa. regulators to clarify utility rules for electric car charging

Electric car charging stations are not subject to utility rules limiting the resale of power, according to a draft policy statement release by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.

On March 15, the five-member commission unanimously supported issuing the draft policy statement, which sets out that electric vehicle charging stations are not subject to the restrictions under a provision of state's public utility code. If they are, it could make development of public charging stations difficult, if not impossible.

Pennsylvania law prohibits power from being resold or redistributed to residential customers at rates higher than those charged by a local utility, which can potentially eat into an electric car charging company's profit, the PUC said in a letter issued in June 2017 when asking for comment on the topic. The PUC sought public comment given that Section 1313 of the utility code applies to the resale of electricity, but is not clear in its application to owners or operators of charging infrastructure who buy power for resale to electric car drivers.

The draft policy statement also directs electric distribution companies to revise their tariffs to have owners and operators of EV chargers notify utilities about upcoming installs. This language aligns with a recommendation from FirstEnergy Corp.'s Pennsylvania utilities, including Metropolitan Edison Co., Pennsylvania Electric Co., Pennsylvania Power Co., and West Penn Power Co.

The state has 742 public charging outlets, according to the U.S. Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels Data Center.

Pennsylvania is among more than half of U.S. states and District of Columbia trying to adapt their tariffs and regulations to facilitate adoption of electric cars, according to a March 13 survey by the Smart Electric Power Alliance. About three quarters of utilities surveyed in 2017 were in the early stages of planning for electric vehicles, including working on programs to experiment and build awareness. Few are in the late stages, which SEPA defined as aligning utility strategies and programs with state policies around electric vehicles, according to SEPA's report, "Evolving to Unlock Grid Value."

The draft policy statement will be open for a 45-day public comment period. (Pennsylvania PUC Docket No. M-2017-2604382)