It seems as if every other car commercial these days is hawking an electric vehicle, and most major automakers have committed to aggressively switch production to EVs. But it’s still very early in the transition away from internal combustion engines: EVs made up less than 1% of the registered vehicles in Pennsylvania at the end of 2021.
Anticipating a future wave of EV ownership, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission on Thursday launched a process to potentially rewrite electric rates in the state to accelerate the adoption of EVs and to assure that electricity costs are proportioned fairly among customers.
The commission said it is trying to stay ahead of what could become a tumultuous transition for the electrical grid as motorists switch to electric cars.
“Transportation electrification is already underway and is projected to grow exponentially,” Gladys Brown Dutrieuille, the commission chair, and Vice Chair Stephen M. DeFrank, said in a joint statement.
“To ensure this commission maintains a nimble posture ahead of this electrification transition, it is imperative that we research and consider rate designs that advance effective management of energy and infrastructure costs,” they said. .
Extension cords across sidewalks: Charging an electric vehicle in Philly is a challenge
By a 5-0 vote, the PUC approved a measure to create a working group that will recommend potential changes in rates for electric vehicle charging. The working group, which must report back by March 31, 2023, will include consumer advocates, electric utilities, EV advocates and PUC staff.
The commission’s action, which was initiated by a petition in February from a coalition of electric vehicle advocates called ChargEVC-PA, would address potential rate increases caused by costly grid expansions to meet growing electric charging demand, making EVs less attractive and harming customers who don’t have EVs.
Peco’s caution
Peco Energy, which serves 1.6 million electric customers in Philadelphia and surrounding suburbs, urged the PUC not to rush to make a policy statement on EV charging rates because the impact on the grid from EV demand is “limited” so far. Peco says its customers own about half the state’s total electric vehicles, which account for 29,000 of the state’s 12 million registered vehicles, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
“Although Southeastern Pennsylvania is home to roughly half of the battery electric vehicles currently registered in the state, the company has not yet identified any systemwide grid impacts related to EV adoption,” Peco said in a filing with the PUC.
Debates over electric rate designs can become intense as expert advocates for various interest groups maneuver for advantages. The state and the courts generally disapproved of cross-subsidies between customer classes.
Commissioner Ralph V. Yanora, while voting for the measure to create a working group on EV rates, added a note of caution that new rates should be market-based and “not include subsidies.”
Overnight charging discounts
One possible solution is to create rates designed to encourage EV owners to charge their vehicles during off-peak hours, when the existing electric grid is underutilized. A more efficient use of existing infrastructure could benefit all customers, including those who don’t have EVs, and also boost the revenue for utility operators, experts say.
Peco last year launched residential time-of-use rates for customers who can manage the electric usage — the price is steeply discounted from midnight to 6 a.m., but about twice as high from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays. About 1,306 customers have enrolled in the voluntary program, Peco spokesman Brian Ahrens said Thursday.
Rising interest in EVs
Although EVs are a relatively small part of the market now, nearly all manufacturers have committed to major investments in electric vehicle manufacturing. The federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 includes $7.5 billion to support a nationwide buildout of charging stations on highway corridors. And EV sales are expected to be 25% to 30% of total new-vehicle sales by 2030.
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Pennsylvanians would think a lot of things if they thought at all. Lots of luck with your thug senator.
Looks to me like a Democrat chucklehead recipe for tons of Pennsylvania gas and coal left in the ground with none left over to power the electrical grid needed to charge up the car batteries, with the usual California type rolling blackouts worse than what they are experiencing now in Kiev due to the Russians bombing their power grids. In the old days you would call it buying the cart before the horse. Today its called buying into the Bull Sheist before losing your reliable oil based horsepower, and getting milked out of your tax dollars being forced to but a pig in a poke. The only thing green about this deal is the dollars that will go into the Democrat party woke member’s pockets.
IF they can think, that is.
95% of all electric vehicles manufactured are still on the road. The rest had enough charge to make it home
I will buy a horse before I would buy an electric vehicle.
Just wait till those batteries get wet oh-boy those car are going to hz e a very hot time of things, the ev cars are starting to catch fire because of the battery packs. Then there is the power grid that is going to fail, in some areas it already is failing because people want to charge all their ev cars at the same time just imagine the load that puts on the electric services as well as the grid. All because we have leaders that have such extreme hatred for oil and coal. Think about what will happen when the power plants are shut down, say buh buy to the power grid, and everything electric.
Good points. All bear repeating loud and often.
And if I may add: If these EVs have shown catastrophic vulnerability in heavy rain, how dependable are they going to be when it snows? Will drivers have to choose between possibly getting to their destination or heat the cabin so they don’t freeze themselves? And we’ve all seen the problems that occur to electrical devices and circuitry when exposed to extreme cold: Again, failure to catastrophic failure.
EVs are an idea whose time has not come. At best, they are good and arguably dependable for short distances, say to the store or back, or if you have a short commute to work. At worst, they are a potential bomb that can be set off for now a growing number of reasons.
And they are still at 40 to 70 thousand dollars and higher. With battery packs that are showing an average 3 to 5 year life before they become problematic or they outright fail. And replacement packs can go as high as half the price to replace the whole car.
And I still haven’t read any reports about the expected mileage differences between daytime and night time driving, even on the best of conditions.
At best, EVs are and expensive toy, and the answer to a question that was never asked.
OR get cold. LIKE WITH ALL Other batteries..
The EV drivers will be driving around and over roads topping mountains of highest quality coal to get to a charging station… …energized by utility current generated by—yep–coal. Absurd.