First of two-part series. See part two, Capturing Benefits for All Ratepayers, in the April 2016 issue.
Dr. Nancy Ryan is a Partner at Energy and Environmental Economics (E3) and an economist with over two decades of energy experience. Dr. Ryan was formerly a Commissioner at the California Public Utilities Commission, where she held a number of other senior positions. She taught applied economics at UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy for many years, and has held senior climate advocacy roles at Environmental Defense Fund. Lucy McKenzie is a Consultant at E3, where she focuses on electric vehicles and other distributed energy resources. She holds a Master of Public Policy degree from U.C. Berkeley’s Goldman School, and spent 5 years working on energy projects at economic consulting firm Analysis Group, Inc.
As the nation's fleet of plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) grows, utilities and their regulators are increasingly asking what role utilities should play in supporting the deployment of EV charging infrastructure.1 California's aggressive low-carbon transportation policies and history of utility-driven market transformation make it the epicenter of the debate. Policies adopted in California will set an example for the nine other states2 that have adopted its Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEV) program, and inform policy in other states such as Indiana, Georgia and Missouri where utilities have proposed or are already undertaking investments.