On February 28, the Public Utility Commission approved filings by the four FirstEnergy electric distribution companies serving Pennsylvania, which will help remove uncertainty and potential barriers to the deployment of third-party electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in their service territories.
The Commission voted 5-0 to approve supplements to tariffs which were filed by Metropolitan Edison Company (MetEd), Pennsylvania Electric Company (Penelec), Pennsylvania Power Company (Penn Power) and West Penn Power Company (West Penn Power), in response to an EV policy statement adopted last year by the PUC.
The Commission’s November 2018 policy statement was designed to help promote increased investment in EV charging infrastructure in the state by reducing regulatory uncertainty and providing greater consistency among electric distribution companies (EDCs).
The policy statement clarifies that third-party electric vehicle charging is providing a service, and not considered resale of electricity under the Public Utility Code. EDCs were directed to amend their tariffs to address third-party EV charging stations consistent with the new policy.
As the Commissioners noted in November, technological advancements, including a growing number of electric vehicles, are transforming the electric consumption of consumers and impacting the grid as a whole – and it is important for utilities to adapt their infrastructure and tariff structure to address these changes.
The FirstEnergy tariff supplements approved today by the Commission are the first to be considered under the PUC’s policy statement regarding EV charging infrastructure.
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