From Maui EVA Newsletter:

On 10 July 2013, the Hawaiian Electric Companies (HECO) released two new EV rates which make the cost of providing DC Fast Charging more transparent and affordable.

1) The Commercial Public Electric Vehicle Charging Facility Service rate, or Schedule EV-F, allows businesses to take advantage of the EV Time-of-Use (EV-TOU) rate without receiving a “demand charge”. HECO defines “demand charge” as “the electric utility’s cost to maintain the capacity to meet a commercial customer’s highest demand for a fixed period.”

2) The Commercial Public Electric Vehicle Charging Service, or Schedule EV-U will allow the Hawaiian Electric companies (HECO, HELCO, MECO) to install and operate up to a total of 25 new DC fast chargers and charge a fee for their use.

Demand charge was also called “ratcheting”.

EV-F and EV-U are interesting. Especially, for us, I think, EV-U. The application by the utilities to the PUC requested that the utilities be able to establish their own public Level-II charge station network.

I participated in the process on behalf of the Big Island EV Association. The full text of the transmittal can be found here. My input to the process as files is here. In essence my input to the PUC stated that we approve of EV-F – it is good for us all, including commercial operators. The combined tariff report is interesting because it also gives the rates that will be charged for a DC Fast charge, around $10.

And also that we approve EV-F with the proviso:

• Approve Schedule EV-U and order the Companies to deploy a minimum of at least eight (8) or 25% of the total number of Level-III chargers deployed, whichever is more, to be installed in Hawaii County, in consultation with Electric Vehicle owners as represented by the Big Island Electric Vehicle Association. Furthermore, we request that the PUC order HECO to include Hawaii County Level-III charge installations in the first wave to be deployed.

Unfortunately the PUC took no action on this input, though I know that the utilities (HECO, MECO, HELCO) are aware of the input. The next step is to work with HELCO to make them (acutely?) aware of the interest and need for this infrastructure here.

I will work my contacts in HELCO, and input you might have is welcomed.

Doug