Electric Utilities and the EV Market: A Decision-Making Tool for State-Specific Strategies

Abstract

Change in U.S. electricity demand has been nearly flat over the past decade. In parallel, electric vehicle (EV) market growth offers opportunities for boosting the revenue and resilience of utilities, while supporting climate change goals. This project uses market research and expert interviews to assess how utilities can best advance the EV market, address key challenges, and benefit from new opportunities. A state-specific multi-criteria decision matrix was developed to rank the viability of ten commonly used utility EV programs based on a utility users’ characteristics. The criteria used to determine the rankings were: profitability through internal rate of return analysis, risk as the probability and impact of failure, state policy environment, and history of regulatory action. Specific case studies yielded that utilities across the U.S. should focus on implementing time of use rates, improving customer engagement, and investing in public and private charging infrastructure.