Utilities expand their roles
Today’s utility-EV charging partnerships extend far beyond supplying
electricity. Utilities are now participating in site selection, infrastruc-
ture forecasting, managed charging program development, fleet
electrification planning, and cus-
tomer education.
Berry says utilities provide
critical power maps and capac-
ity studies that help determine
where charging infrastructure
can be deployed most efficiently.
Hardy adds that utilities also
help fleet customers evaluate
charging
requirements
before
infrastructure is installed while
educating businesses and resi-
dents
about
electrification
strategies.
“We help identify strong charg-
ing locations, share system and
load data to support better plan-
ning, and work with fleet customers to assess charging needs before
equipment is installed,” Hardy says.
Utilities are also becoming more active in customer outreach efforts
designed to accelerate EV adoption. Boyce points to ComEd as an
example of a utility investing heavily in customer education through
ride-and-drive events and EV outreach programs.
Other partnerships are helping consumers reduce installation costs
and avoid expensive infrastructure upgrades. Boyce highlights PG&E’s
ChargeBoost program with Emporia, which allows homeowners to
install Level 2 chargers without upgrading their electrical panels by
limiting charging rates in real time.
“This has the potential to be a game-changer for many potential EV
drivers because it sidesteps what can be a several-thousand-dollar
additional expense,” Boyce says.
Meanwhile, Huron says utilities are becoming increasingly impor-
tant strategic partners in charging deployment forecasting because
they possess the long-term grid knowledge neces-
sary to support sustainable infrastructure growth.
“Utilities also play a critical role in ensuring charg-
ing deployment aligns with local grid capacity and
long-term infrastructure planning,” Huron says.
Fleet charging investments
While residential charging remains important
because most EV charging still occurs at home, large-
scale fleet charging projects are attracting enormous
investment due to the growth of autonomous vehi-
cles, logistics fleets, and commercial electrification
initiatives.
Berry says purpose-built charging depots for autonomous rideshare
fleets and commercial trucking operations represent one of the fast-
est-growing infrastructure segments. “AV rideshare charging alone
represents an estimated $200 billion capital expenditure opportunity
by 2040 in the U.S. and Europe,” Berry says.
Terawatt is focusing heavily on urban charg-
ing hubs near downtowns and airports, along with
logistics-oriented charging depots along highway
corridors.
“We view this fleet-scale infrastructure as an
entirely new asset class, akin to what data centers
are for the AI industry,” Berry says.
Public fast charging also continues expanding rap-
idly, fueled in part by federal and state incentives.
Boyce points to National Electric Vehicle Infrastruc-
ture funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, along
with investments from automaker-backed charging
ventures such as IONNA, as major catalysts for infra-
structure deployment.
At the same time, utilities serving dense urban
areas are increasingly focused on multifamily charg-
ing solutions because residents without private
garages or driveways often face limited charging
access.
Challenges remain
Despite strong momentum, significant challenges
continue to complicate utility-EV charging alliances.
One major obstacle is the industry’s growing “time
to power” issue – the delay between charger installa-
tion and utility energization.
“Charge point operators can stand up new infra-
structure faster than the utility can provide the
capacity to power that infrastructure,” Boyce says.
Demand charges associated with public fast charging
also create financial challenges because fast char-
gers generate sharp spikes in electricity demand.
Hardy says interoperability remains another criti-
cal concern because charging must remain simple
and reliable from the customer’s perspective regard-
less of the systems operating behind the scenes.
Cybersecurity is also becoming increasingly
important as utilities integrate millions of connected
devices into grid operations. At the same time, con-
sumer behavior may present
another hurdle because managed
charging and vehicle-to-grid pro-
grams only work effectively if EV
owners consistently plug in their
vehicles.
Looking ahead, Huron predicts
deeper
coordination
between
vehicles, utilities, home energy
systems, and distributed energy
platforms, while Berry expects
charging hubs themselves to
evolve into active grid-balancing
nodes.
“The stakes could not be higher,” Berry says. “If we
fail to build this infrastructure alongside the utili-
ties, lack of charging will become the single biggest
bottleneck to the autonomous and electric vehicle
revolution.”
EA
Jeff Huron, director of business devel-
opment at EnergyHub
Jason Berry, vice president of energy
& policy at Terawatt
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