The New Death Match Over EV Chargers

[BeckyDem]

It’s power companies vs. ... convenience stores?

MATTHEW ZEITLIN
•
JUNE 16, 2023


The convenience store lobby is very, very interested in electric vehicle charging.

In state after state, they have clashed with utilities over who gets to install electric chargers — and who pays for it. The reason is that the convenience store industry is also the gas station industry. They sell 80 percent of America’s gas — and they want to sell power as well, if not for what they claim is unfair conduct by America’s utilities.

A group that the convenience story lobby helped found is fighting the utility Xcel Energy in Colorado over its proposal to install its own EV chargers. They have successfully campaigned against a proposed rate hike in Minnesota that would have helped fund Xcel’s plan to install around 730 EV chargers and supported legislative pushes in Oklahoma, Texas, and Georgia that limited utilities’ ability to charge their customers for EV charging investments through the regulated electricity rates.

The federal government is throwing billions of dollars at the electric vehicle industry, including charging, while the regulations that surround who is able to build chargers and with what money are largely fought state-by-state.

So why is the gas station industry so interested in what utilities want to do with EV charging?

https://heatmap.news/electric-vehicles/ev-chargers-gas-stations-utilities

[Hortensis]

1. Interesting, thanks. Most discussion I've heard on this subject

has been of the "Where on earth would people get them charged?" variety, but the battle is on for ability of businesses to share in this new market. I didn't think of convenience stores because people are supposedly in and gone, so one little takeaway is EVEN convenience stores want to be able to offer charging stations. Occurs to me that a lot of times they would be the only purveyor in their area.

[BeckyDem]

2. You're most welcome.

It is a compelling issue, and convenience stores want in and I agree, they are it for certain areas of the country.

[yellowdogintexas]

3. In Fort Worth you can charge your EV at Kohl's just off Bryant Irvin Road

There are 3 charging stations in the parking lot

That's up on the hill looking down on the shopping center with the Loews

[Hortensis]

4. :) Imagining you up there counting. No doubt just the beginning.

I have read about parking spaces typically having chargers. Someday, but probably one of those things that will happen fast when it does. Like public phones disappearing while we weren't noticing but in reverse.