Dive Brief:
- California regulators are expected to decide this month whether to change a 2011 rule prohibiting regulated utilities from owning electric vehicle charging stations.
- San Diego Gas and Electric and Southern California Edison have proposed investing $500 million in charging infrastructure, and the proposal has support of some state lawmakers who want to boost investment without hurting competition.
- Pacific Gas & Electric has signaled that it is watching the California Public Utilities Commission decision and could propose a plan of its own to invest in EV charging equipment.
Dive Insight:
The electric vehicle market in California is booming, and the need for a 2011 rule prohibiting regulated utilities from investing in charging stations may have passed, the Examiner reports. State law makers have signaled their support for changes that would allow investor-owned utilities to own charging equipment, but say they must ensure competitive protections are put in place.
A change to the rules would allow SDG&E and SCE to move ahead with a $500 million investment in charging stations. PG&E is also considering a similar type of investment and is watching the proceeding for cues on how to proceed. The proposal also has support from some charging station operators, who stand to benefit from increased opportunities to innovate.
"When I saw the Southern California Edison filing, I was doing a happy dance for a little while," ChargePoint CEO Pasquale Romano told the San Francisco Examiner. ChargePoint has about 4,500 charging stations around the San Francisco Bay Area.
