Tom Valtin
Today, the Sierra Club, as a part of a diverse group of organizations and businesses representing electric vehicle (EV) drivers, ratepayer advocates, advanced technology companies, vehicle manufacturers, union workers, and environmental advocates, signed the Transportation Electrification Accord. In its own words, the Accord “outlines how transportation electrification can be advanced in a manner that benefits all utility customers and users of all forms of transportation, while supporting the evolution of a cleaner grid and stimulating innovation and competition for U.S. companies.”
In short, the purpose of the Accord is to establish joint principles that we believe should guide efforts by policymakers and electric utilities to electrify our vehicles. The principles are written with the goal of maximizing the wide-ranging benefits that we know electric vehicles (EVs) can deliver. It may sound wonky, but the idea is simple: by spelling out our shared principles, we can more effectively fight for our shared vision of clean vehicles powered by a clean grid. Realizing that vision is necessary to meet our climate goals, and the need to realize it quickly is underscored by the fact that the transportation sector is now the largest and fastest growing source of carbon emissions in the U.S.
Electric utilities are key piece of the puzzle. Not only must they manage the grid in an electric vehicle future, but they are well-positioned to accelerate vehicle electrification through investments in infrastructure, tailored EV electricity rates, and outreach to customers. With our allies, we’ve recently won commitments by utilities in Utah, Florida and Ohio for nearly $30M worth of EV infrastructure investments, and to date have worked to secure hundreds of millions more. We’re currently engaged in processes to develop or approve programs across the country, including in Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Rhode Island, Nevada, Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois and Washington, D.C.
We support these utility initiatives because study after study has shown that they can deliver public health, economic, and grid benefits for all electricity customers, whether they drive an EV or not. Well-designed programs can maximize these benefits. For that reason, the Accord focuses closely on how we can “get these programs right.” That includes highlighting the value of special electricity prices that can help drivers plug-in at the right times, and underscoring the need for robust data collection and open standards, which can unlock improvements and innovation. As regulators continue to debate the role of electric utilities in the transportation space, the Accord will be a valuable tool in our collective advocacy.
The full text of the principles of the Transportation Electrification Accord is below. We invite interested organizations and businesses to visit the Accord website, where they can learn about how to become a signatory and how the principles may be used in their own advocacy efforts.
In addition to the Sierra Club, the initial signatories of the Accord are Advanced Energy Economy, Energy Foundation, Enervee, Honda, Illinois Citizens Utility Board, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers District Nine, Natural Resources Defense Council, Plug In America, Proterra, and Siemens.
CONTEXT AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES
There is a clear case on both policy and regulatory grounds for electrifying transportation, which can provide benefits to all consumers (including the socioeconomically disadvantaged), advance economic development, create jobs, provide grid services, integrate more renewable energy, and cut air pollution and greenhouse gases.
Electrified transportation should include not only light-duty passenger vehicles, but also heavy-duty vehicles (e.g., transit buses and delivery trucks), as well as off-road equipment (e.g., airport and port electrification equipment).
Accelerating an appropriate deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure based on market penetration projections along highway corridors, as well as throughout local cities and towns, is a critical element of electrifying transportation.
It is critical to support electric transportation at the state and local government levels, whether it be through governors, state legislators, state commissions, state transportation agencies, state energy offices, mayors, or local governments.
Electric utilities regulated by state and local commissions and boards, who serve the interests of the state and the public at large, have made substantial progress in accelerating the retirement of costly and less efficient fossil generation, and are poised to continue to make progress in promoting innovation, spurring greater grid efficiencies, and reducing harmful air pollution.
Under appropriate rules, it is in the public interest to allow investor-owned and publicly-owned utilities to participate in and facilitate the deployment of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) and/or supporting infrastructure for residential and commercial applications in their service territories to accomplish state and local policy goals. The distribution grid is incorporating new grid-edge features such as advanced demand response, vehicle-to-grid (V2G), and distributed energy storage. In that broader context, utilities are well positioned to ensure that installed EVSE, whether owned by utilities or other parties, maximizes the public benefits of these innovations, through appropriate integration of these technologies in order to maximize electrical system benefits for all classes of customers.
The build out of EVSE must optimize charging patterns to improve system load shape, reduce local load pockets, facilitate the integration of renewable energy resources, and maximize grid value. Using a combination of time-based rates, smart charging and rate design, load management practices, demand response, and other innovative applications, EV loads should be managed in the interest of all electricity customers.
To drive innovation and foster competition in the transportation electrification space, it is vital that open charging standards or protocols are adopted for both front-end and back-end interoperability. An open system also promotes greater transparency of vital data and information, which can be shared with a variety of innovative companies. The guidelines developed by the Open Charge Alliance (OCA) should be used as the baseline. Data developed by third parties from behind-the-meter devices should also be made available to utilities for use in planning system architecture and EVSE.
Consumers and EV owners will benefit greatly from a smart, efficient, and open architecture throughout the EV infrastructure. Ensuring interoperability throughout the EV architecture means that consumers should be able to roam easily among the different networks, with a common identification and authentication process, with as little hassle as possible. In addition, key consumer protection principles should be adhered to for all deployed EVSE regardless of the EVSE owner, including transparent pricing and open access policies. Drivers who charge in a manner consistent with grid conditions should realize fuel cost savings. Mapping locations and signage of the stations should also be provided for all consumers.
Utilities should proactively engage their regulators, consumers and all stakeholders in developing rate designs, infrastructure deployment programs, and education and outreach efforts that benefit all utility customers and allow reasonable cost recovery, while accelerating widespread transportation electrification that supports a reliable and robust grid.
Best practices, standards and codes should be a priority for all transportation electrification infrastructure installations. As new open standards and more advanced security measures are developed, these should be implemented in a timely manner by all operators of EVSE. It is critical that industry participants continue to collaborate on consistent communication protocols between the vehicle, infrastructure and grid to ensure system safety, security and reliability.