The new Utility Brief and Utility Playbook help utilities design EV charging programs for low-income EV drivers

Two non-profit organizations that advocate for clean energy have partnered to release a new resource designed to help electric utilities promote affordable EV charging.

The Utility Brief and Utility Playbook, jointly developed by GRID Alternatives and the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA), are designed for decision-makers and planners within the utility ecosystem.

As regular Charged readers know, driving electric tends to be a better value for homeowners, who benefit from regulated residential electricity prices, than for renters and multifamily housing residents, who may be forced to depend on public charging. The Utility Brief explains this “renter’s penalty” in more detail, and the Utility Playbook outlines measures that utilities can take to narrow the affordability gap.

“Relying on public charging shouldn’t mean paying a premium to drive electric,” said Zach Franklin, Strategic Impact Officer at GRID Alternatives. “The ‘renter’s penalty’ locks millions of multifamily residents and low-income families out of the full economic benefits of the EV transition. This playbook gives utilities a practical roadmap to bridge that gap.”

“Harnessing SEPA’s deep utility-driven insights, this playbook delivers the real-world frameworks needed to build and scale more affordable charging programs,” said Ashley Lynn Qua, SEPA’s Senior Manager of Transportation Electrification. “Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, these diverse models show how energy affordability can dynamically follow the driver wherever they plug in.”

GRID Alternatives worked with several utilities and electricity providers to design, implement and evaluate EV charging projects for low-income EV drivers. Drawing on knowledge from this work, GRID Alternatives and SEPA developed the Utility Playbook to guide utilities through recommended steps to develop an affordable public charging program for low-income renters and multifamily housing residents. Several pilot projects are discussed, demonstrating the various implementation models possible.

As entities that already manage income-qualified discount frameworks, utilities are uniquely positioned to administer these affordability extensions at public or shared multifamily chargers, GRID Alternatives explains. A well-designed program can provide a consistent, predictable fueling cost for every driver across the service territory.

The Utility Brief and Playbook are available publicly for download.

Source: GRID Alternatives