August 25, 2017: On August 25, a settlement agreement was submitted to the Ohio PUC that includes a $10M EV infrastructure investment.
If the settlement is approved, AEP Ohio would initiate a five-year rebate program, targeting deployment in locations where charging is needed most, with $5.8M total dedicated to fast charging and $3.7M for level 2 charging in multi-unit dwellings, workplaces, and public locations, including a carve out for deployment in disadvantaged communities. For scale, AEP's spending by customer ($10M for 1.5M customers) would be on par with programs approved to date for California's investor owned utilities ($195M for ~22.5M customers).
This big step forward for electrification in the midwest is the culmination of six months of negotiations and engagement by Sierra Club and our allies with AEP Ohio, Commission Staff, and other key stakeholders. ELP Attorney Joe Halso led Sierra Club's work in this case, resulting in dramatic improvement to AEP Ohio's original EV program proposal through settlement, as well as the defeat of a proposed customer charge increase and improvement to a prior agreement which requires AEP Ohio to invest in renewables.
Sierra Club's press release can be found here.