Situated between two of the country’s most electric vehicle-loving states, it’s no surprise that local EV ownership has increased by 50 percent year-over-year since 2016.
Clark Public Utilities staff have spent years behind the scenes preparing and planning for the mass adoption of electric vehicles to ensure the utility will continue to deliver the high standard of safe, reliable and affordable service customers expect.
Now, updates to the utility’s Transportation Electrification Plan aim to make EVs more accessible to multifamily housing while also helping individual EV owners and utility customers at large enjoy the benefits of an increasingly electrified transportation sector.
As part of efforts to reduce vehicle emissions, the Washington Legislature created the Washington Clean Fuel Standard, which took effect in 2023. As an electric utility that actively supports EV adoption, Clark Public Utilities participates in the program and will start earning revenue from its participation next year. Those funds will support new programs that meet the law’s strict guidelines while narrowing the gaps preventing some customers from owning an EV. The updated Transportation Electrification Plan will explain how the utility plans to support limited-income customers and multifamily neighborhoods in Clark County.
To date, there are nearly 10,000 registered EVs in Clark County, with about 4,000 more expected to arrive by the end of next year. While most people may prefer to charge at home, that’s simply not an option for people in condominium communities, apartments or even older neighborhoods.
“Adding charging infrastructure to apartments, townhomes or other high-density parking areas is often cost-prohibitive to building owners or homeowner associations, so those residents who own EVs have to rely on public chargers,” the utility’s Clean Energy Program Manager Matt Babbitts said. “But two programs we’re planning to roll out next year aim to make those kinds of retrofits more affordable and ultimately increase charger availability in our community.”
The utility’s board of commissioners approved the Transportation Electrification Plan in 2021 with the goal of continuing to deliver safe, reliable and affordable service that customers are accustomed to. The plan includes services to help low- and limited-income customers purchase a used EV costing $20,000 or less, significantly reduce the cost of residential level II chargers and help local government, special district and nonprofit customers recoup the costs of installing publicly accessible charging infrastructure.
While EVs are still a small fraction of the cars on the road today, they’re forecasted to eventually become the dominant way Clark County gets around. Clark Public Utilities is making plans today to meet those future energy demands, while also positioning its customers to enjoy the benefits of a smart response to energy demands.
“Electric vehicles offer tremendous savings potential, not just for the many individual owners in our community, but for all of Clark Public Utilities’ customer-owners,” Babbitts said. “EV owners can see significant reductions in their transportation costs over a gas or diesel vehicle; if they can be incentivized to charge their EVs during periods of low energy demand, the utility will need to produce or purchase less electricity when wholesale prices are highest. That’s a win for the EV customer and the rest of the utility’s customer-owners.”
The updated version of the Clark Public Utilities TE Plan will be available before the start of the new year. Customers can find the original plan and the updated version it on the utility’s website: ClarkPublicUtilities.com/ev.
Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98668.
