The NARUC Center for Partnerships & Innovation has developed this Case Study Catalog to connect Commissioners and staff to existing reports on emerging utility regulatory approaches to electric vehicle (EV) questions. Commissions will need to make complex decisions about utilities' roles on topics like distribution infrastructure upgrades to support EVSE, load forecasting, EV rate design, and more. This catalog offers a starting point for understanding how these issues have played out around the country to date by highlighting approved utility programs, pilot initiatives, and other Commission decisions that support transportation electrification.
Public Utility Commissions can gain the following from this catalog:
The Catalog features more than 25 resources, including references to commission decisions, utility programs, pilots, and more from over 20 states. Some resources in the catalog cover several regulatory issues / topics at once, such as how to prepare the grid for medium and heavy-duty charging.
NARUC also offers EV resources, webinar presentations and recordings, and an Essential Guide to Electric Vehicle Resources.
This is not a comprehensive list of all case studies or resources on commission and utility decisions. Please contact the authoring organization directly for more information on these resources.
Please use this form if you would like to add a case study to this catalog.
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Title |
Author |
Date |
Topics | Case Study or Resource Summary | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EVs Are Driving Rates Down | Synapse Economics | 2024 | EV Rate Design | Rapid growth in electric vehicle (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. | California, Colorado, New Jersey, Illinois, Virginia, and New Mexico |
| Utility Planning for Electric Truck and Bus Fleets: An Overview |
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) |
August 2024 |
Medium and Heavy Duty, Fleets, Transportation Planning |
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 GHG 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. |
California, Michigan, Virginia, New York |
| World Resources Institute (WRI) | August 2024 | Electric School Buses | 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 ESB adoption? 2. Implications and recommendations related to utility and statewide equitable school bus adoption. It is meant for policymakers and regulators alike. |
Virginia, California | |
|
Vehicle- Grid Integration: The Convergence of the Auto Industry and Electric Power Industry |
Alliance for Auto Innovators | July 2024 | Managed Charging, Bidirectional charging, EV Rate Design | This White Paper focus on both economic and technological aspects of vehicle grid integration (VGI). 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. | New York, California |
| U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) |
July 2024 |
Interconnection, Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) | 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. |
California, New York | |
|
Survey and gap prioritization of U.S. electric vehicle charge management deployments |
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) |
June 2024 | Smart Charge Management | 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. |
California, Colorado, New York |
|
Rate Design for EV Fast Charging Stations: |
UNC Kenan Flagler Business School | May 2024 | EV Rate Design | 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. | North Carolina |
| Advanced Energy United |
April 2024 |
Distribution upgrades, Medium and Heavy Duty | This study offers a framework for evaluating the impact of the Advanced Clean Truck (ACT) rule and other medium- and heavy-duty vehicle (MHDV) 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. | Pennsylvania, Illinois | |
| National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy | U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation | March 2024 | Medium and Heavy Duty, Fleets | The National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy (The 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. | New York |
| Multi-State Transportation Electrification Impact Study |
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) | March 2024 | Managed Charging, Forecasting, Distribution or Infrastructure Upgrades | 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. | California, Illinois, New York, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania |
| How Can the Grid Meet Medium-Heavy Duty Vehicle Charging Needs in 2024 and in 2030s? Commission Staff Only Workshop |
NARUC | February 2024 | Medium and Heavy Duty Vehicles, Fleets | 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. | Oregon, California, Ohio |
| National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program (NEVI) Brief for State Public Utility Commissions | NARUC | February 2024 | Public Charging, Federal Funding | State Public Utility Commissions (PUCs) 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 PUCs. | Michigan, Virginia, New Jersey |
| Charging Ahead: Grid Planning for Vehicle Electrification A Report of the Energy Systems Integration Group’s Grid Planning for Vehicle Electrification Task Force |
Energy Systems Integration Group (ESIG) | January 2024 | Transportation Planning, Distribution or Infrastructure Upgrades | 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. | California |
| Building the Grid to Need: Best Practices for Proactively Developing Distribution Grids to Support Truck and Bus Electrification |
Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) | January 2024 | Medium and Heavy Duty, Buses, Infrastructure Upgrades | This report lays out key recommendations for policymakers, utilities, and regulators to proactively prepare the grid for medium and heavy-duty and bus electrification. | California, New York |
| NARUC Transportation Electrification Planning Workshop |
NARUC | November 2023 | NARUC Transportation Electrification Planning Workshop |
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. Developed promising approaches for active transportation electrification planning processes across states. | California, Oregon |
| Preparing for Customer Fleet Electrification: A Utility Framework |
Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) | October 2023 | Medium and Heavy Duty, Fleets, Transportation Planning |
SEPA shares learnings |
Michigan, Virginia, Florida |
| State of Bidirectional Charging Report | Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) | September 2023 | Bi-directional Charging | 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. |
Massachusetts, Colorado, Virginia, New York, New Hampshire, California |
| Transportation Electrification in the Southeast | Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) | September 2023 | Make Ready Infrastructure, Fleets | 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. | Georgia |
| Snapshot of EV-Specific Rate Designs Among U.S. Investor-Owned Electric Utilities |
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) | April 2023 | EV Rate Design | 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). | 37 states plus D.C. |
| Considering Interoperability for Electric Vehicle Charging: A Commission Case Study |
NARUC | October 2022 | Interoperability | As adoption of electric vehicles (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 electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), are integrated efficiently and effectively. | Connecticut |
| Mini Guide on Transportation Electrification: State-Level Roles and Collaboration among Public Utility Commissions, State Energy Offices, and Departments of Transportation | NARUC | July 2022 | State Transportation Planning and Roles | This mini guide describes the unique and vital roles State Energy Offices, Public Utility Commissions (PUCs), and Departments of Transportation (DOTs), as well as State Environmental Agencies, Consumer Advocates, and other important state-level partners each have to support the ambitious electric vehicle (EV) adoption goals in many states and implement EV rollout. | Florida |
| Models for Incorporating Equity in Transportation Electrification Considerations for Public Utility Regulators | NARUC | July 2022 | Equity |
Momentum for the electric vehicle (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. |
New Jersey, Kansas, California, Minnesota, New York, Maryland, Illinois, Colorado, Oregon |
| Electric Vehicle Interoperability Considerations for Public Utility Regulators | NARUC | July 2022 | Interoperability |
Electric vehicles (EV) 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. |
California, New York, Washington, Connecticut |
| Smart EV Load Management | Enel X eMobility | April 2022 | Load management, managed charging | The new eBook from Enel X eMobility, Smart EV Load Management, covers: An overview of the North American EVSE incentive markets The various EV load management technologies and strategies The difference between active versus managed charging programs EV load management customer case studies A glimpse into the future of EV load management. |
California, Colorado, Hawaii, Arizona, New York |
| Overview of Utility Transportation Electrification Plans Best Practices and Good Examples from Across the Country |
Western Resource Advocates | April 2022 | Transportation Electrification Planning | 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. | Maryland, Colorado, California, New Mexico, Nevada, Virginia, Vermont |
| Enabling Equitable Electric Vehicle Shared Mobility Programs | The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) | February 2022 | Equity | 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. | California, Minnesota, Colorado |
| The State of Managed Charging in 2021 | Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) | November 2021 | Managed Charging | 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 Electric Vehicle 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. | New York, Minnesota, Massachusetts, others |
| Electric Transportation Rate Design Principles for Regulated Utilities | Alliance for Transportation Electrification (ATE) | July 2021 | EV Rate Design | In this paper, the Alliance for Transportation Electrification (“ATE” or “the Alliance”) proposes ratemaking and rate design principles applicable to transportation electrification (TE) where state commissions have authority to approve both investor-owned utility rates and rate design. | California, Florida, Colorado, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland |
| Taking First Steps: Insights for States Preparing for Electric Transportation |
RAP | April 2020 | Transportation Electrification Planning, EV Rate Design, EV Pilots, Managed Charging | RAP 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. | Maryland, California, Georgia, Michigan, Washington, and several others |
| Residential Electric Vehicle Time-Varying Rates That Work: Attributes That Increase Enrollment | Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) | November 2019 | EV Rate Design | 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. |
Michigan, Minnesota, California, Texas |
| Electric Vehicles: Key Trends, Issues, and Considerations for State Regulators | NARUC | October 2019 | State Transportation Planning and Roles, EV Rate Design, Grid Planning | NARUC released an issue brief on electric vehicles 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. | Michigan, Maryland, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Ohio, Arizona, Illinois |
| Preparing to Plug In Your Fleet: 10 Things to Consider | EEI | October 2019 | Medium and Heavy Duty, Fleets | 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. | California, Hawaii |
This Case Study Catalog was written by Robert Bennett, a Technical Specialist at the NARUC Center for Partnerships & Innovation. It is based on work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under Award Number DE-OE0000925.