The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has approved plans by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) for its electric vehicle infrastructure and education pilot programme.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has approved plans for its EV infrastructure and education programme.

The $130m project will deploy infrastructure to support up to 7,500 EV charging ports in workplaces, disadvantaged communities, and multi-unit dwellings.

In 2011, the state of California banned utilities from investing in EV charging infrastructure due to concerns over the unfair level of competition they would present to independent parties but this was overturned in 2014. Since then the CPUC has approved electric vehicle programmes for Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric.

The CPUC decision allows PG&E to own up to 35% of the total charging ports deployed in the program in multi-unit dwellings and disadvantaged communities. It also approves a time of use charging rate that site hosts may choose to utilise.

The CPUC added that PG&E must work with local planning agencies and meet a number of site selection criteria when choosing and developing sites.

“This program provides a hybrid ownership model whereby the site host has flexibility to choose to own the electric vehicle charging equipment or have PG&E install, own, and operate all the equipment,” said CPUC commissioner Carla J Peterman. “Our decision today strikes a good balance between consumer benefits and the promotion of competition in the electric vehicle infrastructure marketplace.”