Charging Station Regulation: Let's make plug-in vehicles and sustainability easier

Recently I asked some folks from the local utility what it would take to install electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at two projects we’re developing in downtown Indianapolis, The Mozzo and the Bank One Redevelopment. Their response? I received a bewildering package of tariff sheets, matrix for application and regulatory information.

No question we need to reinvent the country’s energy infrastructure to support more sustainable transport options like EVs. And that’s an enormous task. Consider: there’s product development, manufacturing and marketing; upgrading grids; installing millions of chargers at gas stations, parking garages, street corners and homes; vendor and consumer education and attitude change; and huge investments required for it all. Much of this needs regulation, and standardization. Time, too.

But what about starting small, right now? Why can’t the regulatory environment be simpler and implementation easier? It’s certainly in the utilities’ interest; they’ll sell more power. How about exemptions or special processes to encourage immediate gestures that we know can help move us toward conservation – even seemingly modest incremental ones including like charging stations at new mixed used developments? To all that’s involved in transitioning to a greener infrastructure, let’s add eliminating impediments.

I’m not even sure exactly what is required to get the permits for charging stations at our two projects. However, I do have a whole package of documents and forms that, with a day or two of work, I will figure out. We know it’s the right thing to do, and we intend to install chargers anyway like we already have at the Maxwell. But why should installing these into our residential buildings be any harder than installing an outlet for a washer and dryer, or an HVAC system? Let’s clear unnecessary obstacles from the road to energy-efficient transport.