Webinar: Utilities, Commissions, and State DOTs: Working Together to Deploy EV Charging
March 21, 2023
The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation hosted a webinar that gave the perspective of a utility, a public utility commission, and a state department of transportation (DOT) working to deploy electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.
The webinar explored how these stakeholders are working to streamline the service connection agreement process, plan for available capacity and additional load, create electricity rates that meet the needs for EV charging, and ensure a positive customer experience from EV charging site host to the EV end user.
The panelists included:
- Kaleb Vander Wiele, transportation electrification project manager, WisDOT Division of Budget and Strategic Initiatives
- Cathleen Lewis, e-mobility program manager, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities
- Brian Wilkie, director of business development, National Grid.
Key takeaways
- As Wisconsin worked on state plan development, they conducted an economic and supply chain analysis, led the formation of an electrification steering committee, and conducted significant stakeholder outreach on EVs. This approach has been an attempt to develop a program in a collaborative space alongside industry, site hosts, utilities, local governments, agencies, EV drivers, and more.
- National Grid is working with state DOTs to bridge the gap between transportation planning and the power sector. Engaging with utilities is an important part of National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program planning.
- We need to build out a comprehensive public charging system so that people have the confidence to get into their EVs, but we also need to acknowledge that 80% of the charging is going to happen at home. We need to prepare for both of those pieces.