Electric Vehicle Programs in Oregon

Invoking the new term “transportation electrification,” the Oregon Public Utility Commission has authorized PacifiCorp d/b/a Pacific Power to institute three pilot projects designed to advance the development of electric vehicle (EV) initiatives. The decision closely tracks an earlier order in which the commission had approved a similar plan by a different utility, Portland General Electric Company.

Among the EV programs proposed by PacifiCorp was a plan to install, own, and operate up to seven company-sponsored EV charging stations. In approving the program, the commission noted that while public EV charging service obviously is not a traditional utility service, it is a necessary element in any plan to accelerate widespread deployment of transportation electrification. The commission added that electric utilities are in a prime position to assist in the endeavor. It likewise determined that utilities such as PacifiCorp are uniquely qualified to educate the public about EVs. To that end, the commission deemed reasonable the second part of the company’s pilot proposal, which was aimed at education and outreach through which to promote the use of electric vehicles. The third of the pilot proposals related to demonstration and development, pursuant to which Pacifi-Corp intends to solicit transportation electrification projects from individual nonresidential customers.

The utility will provide grants to participants, with the grantee then owning and operating the resulting electric vehicle supply equipment. The commission reported that PacifiCorp’s total budget for the three pilots will be capped at $4.64 million for the 2017-2019 demonstration period. (UM 1810, Order No. 18-075)