The adoption of Electric Vehicles in America differs heavily from the current gasoline car paradigm: It places the transportation and electricity sectors on a collision course when previously they were distinct from one another. Because of this, policymakers are being forced to confront the realities of the electricity sector that were previously irrelevant to transportation. This report aims to examine these realities in order to evaluate the optimal role of electric utilities in the deployment of Electric Vehicle Chargers in the state of Pennsylvania.

It is first necessary to evaluate if EV adoption would be positive for Pennsylvania generally. For readers wellversed in the benefits of EV adoption or who are more interested in other, less-known aspects of the transition, this section can be skipped. Current EV adoption rates in Pennsylvania will then be explored and compared with other states, along with the most relevant existing policies and programs. A brief section must then be dedicated to the business model of Pennsylvania’s electric utilities, which differs from other privately owned companies and is fundamental in understanding their role in EV adoption.

The “Practical considerations for EV adoption” section aims to provide the reader with information that would not immediately be apparent when considering EV charger deployment. Notably, the physical infrastructure realities demanded by the grid, data access/sharing provisions, and EV charging rate design are crucial to ensuring sustainability and equity as EV adoption increases. Much of this knowledge is prerequisite to addressing the central question: What should the role of the electric utility be in EV charger deployment?

The following section is dedicated to this question and evaluates the three prevalent policy design options as well as states that have implemented iterations of them. California is given its own case study, as it has the most experience with this question. Lastly, equity considerations are explored and emphasized as a necessity under any policy design scenario.