The California Public Utilities Commission approved regulations Thursday that would give electric companies nearly nine years in some cases to connect new EV charging stations to the power grid — a decision the electric vehicle industry said would dampen the growth of the charging business at a crucial time.
The rules don’t allow lengthy delays in every situation. The multiyear time line applies only in cases where the power companies have to build “upstream improvements,” such as new distribution lines or substations. And the electric companies would have to move faster when they don’t have to make those improvements.
But the charging industry — backed by environmental groups — say the utility commission is giving in to the power companies. There should be much shorter timelines even for connections that require upstream work, some say. At least one trade group has threatened to sue.
“Very practically, projects that have energization timelines over two years generally aren’t getting built at this point,” Ashley said. said Thomas Ashley, a spokesman for the trade group Powering America’s Commercial Transportation.
