BILL ANALYSIS 1
1
SENATE ENERGY, UTILITIES AND COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
ALEX PADILLA, CHAIR
SB 1455 - Kehoe Hearing Date:
April 6, 2010 S
As Introduced FISCAL B
1
4
5
5
DESCRIPTION
Current law requires the California Public Utilities Commission
(CPUC) to direct the development of an infrastructure sufficient
to facilitate the widespread use of plug-in hybrid electric
vehicles and full electric vehicles (collectively EVs) and to
adopt rules to address infrastructure barriers by July 1, 2011.
This bill requires the CPUC to prepare and make available a
handbook that notifies an EV owner of specified safety features
and hazards associated with charging an EV at home and whom
should be contacted to ensure that a charging location conforms
to any applicable code.
BACKGROUND
Ready or Not, Here They Come - According to the California
Energy Commission (CEC) there were 14,670 EVs operating in
California in 2008 down from an industry high of 23,399 in 2003.
However an increasing number and variety of EVs are expected to
hit the showroom floors of car dealers in the coming months and
years. The CEC expects the number of EVs to grow from 32,756 in
2011 to 1.5 million by 2020 and 2.8 million by 2030.
An historic number of automakers have already begun or announced
deployment of a range of on-road EVs, including light-duty
plug-in hybrid EVs, full-size battery EVs, two wheel battery
EVs, and three or four wheel low-speed neighborhood EVs
beginning this year.
Readying the Grid - The state's investor-owned utilities (IOUs)
do have tariffs in place for electric cars and have assisted
residential customers and fleet managers with the charging
infrastructure necessary for the vehicles on a limited basis.
However regulators, the utilities and the electric grid are not
ready for the thousands of cars expected. Infrastructure
investments and policies at the customer site, commercial site,
public charging site, and distribution system level are all
required to prepare the electricity system for the widespread
use of EVs.
In response to the marketplace and the directives of SB 626
(Kehoe, 2009) the CPUC has initiated a rulemaking (R.09-08-009)
to determine the barriers and opportunities presented by EVs on
the grid. Issues under consideration include rate design for
the charging of EVs, options for development of metering and
charging infrastructure, and how to incorporate EV charging with
renewable energy supply.
COMMENTS
1) Author's Intent . As an increasing number of EVs come to
the new car market, the author is concerned about whether
the buyers of those vehicles will have the information they
need to understand the relationship between a vehicle that
needs to be charged at home and the electrical features and
safety measures they will need to consider in order to
safely and appropriately charge their vehicle. The author
notes that information coming from the manufacturer of an
EV will likely be limited to the features and basic
charging requirements for that vehicle and not the
infrastructure necessary to establish a charging connection
for the EV.
To address these issues the bill requires the CPUC to
develop a handbook for EV owners or potential buyers of an
EV.
2) Intended Audience . The information that a potential
buyer of an EV needs is very different from that of an EV
owner but the bill attempts to meld the two. When
considering the purchase of an EV the consumer will have
many questions not easily answered beginning with the type
of charging infrastructure available, whether the retrofit
of a home's electric system is necessary, whom to contact
to do a needs determination, electric rates for charging an
EV, and the cost of installing a charger in the home. If
these questions are not asked and answered before the EV
purchase, a consumer could end up with an EV but no place
to charge it since it is not at all clear that a new car
dealer is obligated to take a car back if the consumer has
no means to charge it.
Once the consumer owns an EV and has a charging
infrastructure in place it would seem to be incumbent on
the installer of the charging infrastructure (be it a
utility or private party) to educate the consumer on the
proper use and safety precautions associated with charging
the vehicle which could vary depending on the equipment.
In considering these issues the author intends to amend the
bill to direct the CPUC to provide consumer information on
the essentials of readying a residence for an EV charging
infrastructure including the specialized charging equipment
necessary for an EV, tariffs, metering and load management
techniques, and any other information deemed necessary to
ensure that a consumer who intends to purchase an EV is
aware of the cost and infrastructure associated with
fueling the EV. This would provide the consumer and motor
car dealers one clear and authoritative source of
information for the essentials of accommodating EVs.
3) Distribution Mechanism . This bill requires the CPUC to
develop a handbook but does not indicate what the CPUC's
responsibility is to distribute the handbook. In
considering this issue the author intends to amend the bill
to limit distribution of the consumer information to the
CPUC's website.
4) Related Legislation . SB 1437 (Kehoe) requires the CPUC
to determine the costs to be borne by each class of
ratepayers for the costs of bringing EVs to the grid.
5) Double Referral . Should this bill pass this committee,
it should be re-referred to the Senate Transportation and
Housing Committee.
POSITIONS
Sponsor:
Author
Support:
None on file.
Oppose:
None on file.
Kellie Smith
SB 1455 Analysis
Hearing Date: April 6, 2010