July 06, 2018
Lansing, MI. – The largest electric vehicle charging infrastructure pilot in the Midwest was proposed by DTE Energy today as part of the utility’s latest rate case to the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC). Environmental organizations across the Midwest welcomed the proposal as a positive step towards making Michigan a clean transportation leader.
“DTE Energy’s Charging Forward proposal will go a long way toward filling the electric vehicle charging infrastructure gaps that create barriers to EV adoption,” said Charles Griffith, Climate and Energy Program Director at the Ecology Center in Ann Arbor. “The proposal also incentivizes EV charging to occur during times of day when there is excess capacity on the grid, helping to reduce costs for all electricity customers and reduce pollution for Michigan residents.”
“The state of Michigan and MPSC need to take charge – pun intended – and make sure smart policies are set that encourage the development of the electric vehicle market,” said Robert Kelter, Senior Attorney for the Environmental Law & Policy Center. “If Michigan sets the right policies that motivate customers to charge their cars at night, all Michigan utility customers will benefit from lower rates.”
DTE’s proposed EV pilot includes:
“Lots of potential electric vehicle customers are locked out of the market because they live in apartment buildings that don’t have a place to plug in, but DTE’s new pilot program will add charging stations where they are sorely needed,” said Max Baumhefner, Senior Attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “This program will help those who don’t live in single-family homes access electricity as a cleaner, cheaper alternative to gasoline.”
DTE’s proposal arrived on the heels of the recent $7.5 million Consumers Energy EV pilot program proposal, and AEP Ohio’s $10 million pilot program approved in April by the Ohio Public Utilities Commission. DTE’s service territory currently includes about 10,000 zero-emission vehicle owners, or about double the current number of owners in Consumers Energy’s territory.
“Michigan and the Motor City need to take bold action to put us on a path to a clean car future,” said Sierra Club Associate Attorney Joe Halso. “DTE’s proposal is a step in the right direction. We would like to see a program that maximizes the public health and electricity grid benefits that we know electric cars can deliver.”
An M.J. Bradley & Associates report commissioned by Charge Up Midwest on the impact of more electric vehicles in Michigan found expanding electric vehicles could save Michigan families, drivers and electricity customers billions of dollars over the next three decades. The report also found there is significant potential for growth for electric vehicles in Michigan.
Read DTE’s proposed plan HERE
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Charge Up Midwest is a partnership of environmental and clean energy organizations actively working to increase electric vehicle deployment throughout the region in Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio. Through Charge Up Midwest, organizations seek to engage with a broad range of stakeholders to support actions that increase investment in electric vehicle infrastructure, create a more resilient and low-carbon grid, expand education of the public and policymakers about the benefits of electric vehicles, and otherwise accelerate the production, sales and access to electric vehicles in the region for all Midwest residents.