The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) recently concluded that companies that sell electric vehicle charging services to the public will not be regulated as “public utilities” pursuant to the Public Utilities Code.
The CPUC is evaluating alternative-fueled vehicle policies to ensure California's investor-owned electric utilities are prepared for the projected statewide growth of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles throughout California, per Senate Bill 626 (Kehoe, Chapter 355, Statutes of 2009).
The CPUC's actions provide clarity regarding the CPUC's regulatory role in the market for electric vehicle charging services. The CPUC's decision finds that the sale of electric vehicle charging services to the public does not make a corporation or person a public utility solely because of that sale, ownership, or operation. The decision also identifies ways in which the CPUC can exercise its regulatory authority to ensure that electric vehicle charging occurs in a manner that is consistent with the capabilities of the electric grid.
The proposal voted on is available here.
Source: The California Public Utilities Commission