Delmarva Power to provide new electric vehicle services
Delmarva Power has been approved by the Delaware Public Service Commission to begin offering new electric vehicle services for residential customers and public spaces.
To help reduce the impacts of climate change and drive interest in cleaner transportation options, Delmarva Power will expand public charging infrastructure and offer a new rate option for residential customers who charge their EVs at home. According to the Edison Electric Institute, more than 5 million EV chargers will be required to support the projected 7 million EVs on U.S. roads by 2025.
“This decision is a positive first step in meeting our customers’ growing interest in EVs and a great example of the new energy services and choices we can provide for Delawareans,” said Gary Stockbridge, Delmarva Power region president. “We worked closely with our community partners to find initial EV services that would support the expansion of clean transportation options for all customers in Delaware, and we look forward to continuing this collaboration.”
Based on a settlement reached among Delmarva Power, the Delaware Public Service Commission and the Division of the Public Advocate, Delmarva Power will install, own and maintain four new charging stations providing public access to EV charging infrastructure. Delmarva Power and others will work to identify best practices for siting and interconnecting chargers to the local energy grid and understand how customers use different types of chargers in different areas, including local neighborhoods, underserved communities and main transportation corridors. All electricity will be from 100 percent renewable energy sources.
The settlement also provides a new rate option for Delmarva Power residential customers who install a second electric meter for EV charging, as well as the option to receive 100 percent renewable energy for their residential EV charging through this offering. This offers customers potential cost savings for charging an EV during off-peak hours, including nighttime. Currently, most customers pay a flat rate for all their energy use no matter when they use it. Through this rate option, customers are charged a lower rate during off-peak hours for their EV charging. This incentive will help lessen the potential for significant shifts in peak demand due to increasing EV charging that could impact the whole system and raise costs for all customers.
These new services will be paid for through delivery charges on customer bills. The program is expected to cost approximately $475,000, or about 3.7 cents on the monthly bill for the typical Delmarva Power residential customer using 840 kWh per month. The new services are expected to become available over the course of the next year.
These new offerings complement existing incentives, rebates, discounts, and programs already in place in the state that help residents and businesses buy, own, and operate EVs. The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control offers several incentives, including rebates up to $3,500, for the purchase or lease of an electric vehicle and various rebates for the purchase of EV charging stations for homes, apartment buildings and workplaces.
The commission’s decision also establishes a working group, including Delmarva Power and other state stakeholders, to continue evaluating the growing demand for electric transportation. The group will analyze data from Delmarva Power’s new services and will monitor the need to further expand electric transportation options and services in Delaware.
The Maryland Public Service Commission also recently granted approval to Delmarva Power, and its Exelon sister companies BGE and Pepco, for a pilot program to expand transportation electrification options in Maryland.
For more information, go to www.delmarva.com.
