Potomac Edison to begin installing EV charging stations this year as part of Maryland pilot program

Published on March 11, 2019 by Scott Sowers


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Potomac Edison is launching a pilot program to expand the electric vehicle (EV) charging station infrastructure in Maryland and contribute to the state’s goals of improving air quality standards.

The Maryland Public Service Commission (MPC) in January approved a five-year pilot program aimed at increasing the number of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in the state. The program is intended to help jumpstart the state’s goals of getting 300,000 zero-emission electric vehicles on Maryland roadways by 2025 and a targeted reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 40 percent of 2006 levels by 2030.

Aside from allowing utility companies to own and operate a certain number of public charging stations in Maryland, the program is also expected to help combat the “range anxiety” felt by many EV owners.

Three other utility heavyweights in Maryland including Baltimore Gas and Electric Co., Delmarva Power and Pepco – each owned by Exelon Corp. – also are jumping onboard the pilot program designed to expand the quantity of Level 2 and DC fast-charging stations for EVs across the state. 

“All of them filed their own programs and are expected to deploy 5,000 charging stations in aggregate,” said Noah Garcia, transportation policy analyst for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). “There will be 3,000 for residential use, incentives for 1,000 for commercial use and 1,000 will be utility-owned, which will be limited to state, county, and municipal property.”  

Williamsport, Md.-based Potomac Edison, a subsidiary of First Energy Corp., last week announced it would install more than 50 EV charging stations as part of the five-year pilot program, including nine fast-charging stations at various locations throughout Maryland. The installations will begin later this year. In addition, residential customers of Potomac Edison in Maryland will be eligible for rebates of up to $300 for the installation of EV charging stations at their home. Rebates also will be available for charging stations at multifamily properties.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to support Maryland’s efforts toward electric vehicle adoption and expanding the charging station network, which is an important step toward a cleaner, healthier environment,” James Sears, president of Maryland Operations for Potomac Edison, said in a written statement. “Our expertise at building electrical infrastructure will help position Maryland as a leader in EV technology.”

To try and keep the costs of the program from negatively impacting customers or the utilities, the MPC is testing the deployments at reduced cost to lessen exposure by Maryland ratepayers. The MPC also directed the utilities to seek recovery of EV charging program costs in future base rate case proceedings, where the costs would be subject to a comprehensive review. 

Vehicle charging during off-peak hours will be encouraged as will coordination with existing state programs.

“We’re starting to see states like Maryland recognize that utilities in partnership with charging service providers, automakers, environmental groups, and community-based organizations are a critical piece of the puzzle needed to overcome the barriers to EV adoption at market scales,” Garcia said. “This program is a significant step in the state to help reach those goals and we’ll be looking for further action from the utilities in the future.”  

Locations for the stations are yet to be determined and the timing for the start of the rollout remains fluid at this point. Each utility will be required to implement plans to evaluate the performance of the pilot programs, provide progress reports to the MPC every six months, and participate in mid-course and final reviews in hearings before the MPC.

According to EVAdoption.com, Maryland is ranked 12th on the list of states for EV market share based on 2017 sales.