On Monday, American Electric Power (AEP), the listed utility that operates the nation’s largest electricity transmission system and more than 223,000 distributions lines across the U.S., announced a major membership milestone in its EV partnership initiative. The Electric Highway Coalition (EHC), an alliance of major utility companies formed in March 2021 to push for a single network of DC fast charging stations spanning from West Texas to the Gulf of Mexico and all the way up the Eastern seaboard, has doubled its membership in just a few short months.
The statement coincided with an announcement on Monday by listed energy provider Exelon, which serves the largest number of electricity and natural gas customers in the U.S., that it, too, is joining the Electric Highway Coalition.
In a statement announcing the membership milestone, AEP said the coalition’s membership now includes, in addition to Exelon, AVANGRID, Consolidated Edison, DTE Energy, Eversource Energy, FirstEnergy Corp., ITC Holdings Corp., and National Grid. These newest members join founding members AEP, Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, Entergy Corporation, Southern Co., and the Tennessee Valley Authority.
“Protecting our future means ensuring electric vehicles are an affordable, accessible, and reliable transportation option for customers in the communities we serve,” said Exelon CEO Calvin Butler. “Our customers and communities want cleaner air and action on climate change – just one reason why we want to make sure rapid charging is as easily available along major highways as traditional gas stations. Our partnership with the Electric Highway Coalition will help alleviate range anxiety by creating convenient, rapid charging stations that will give travelers in our communities the confidence to know they can rely on electric vehicles for long distance travel wherever they need to go.”
“AEP helped bring the initial members of the Electric Highway Coalition together. In just a few months we have been able to more than double the number of companies who want to be part of this unprecedented effort,” said AEP Chairman, President and CEO Nicholas K. Akins. “Every major car maker has announced production of EVs for every lifestyle – from pickup trucks to performance cars – and our industry is prepared to ensure that drivers can travel wherever the road takes them. Through the EHC, we can make sure that our nation’s charging infrastructure is built to enable travel and make the most efficient use of the energy grid.”
The EHC’s 14 members, which now represent 29 states plus the District of Columbia and more than 60 million customers, say they will collectively endorse corridor EV charging solutions within their service territories, and work together to ensure that charging infrastructure enables convenient charging options and seamless travel routes for EV drivers.
These cooperative efforts will include the development of fast-charging deployment plans that enable U.S. highway travelers to drive long distances using EV transportation, avoid duplication among coalition utilities, and complement existing sites. The EHC wants to pursue sites easily accessible for drivers and located less than 100 miles apart, each site hosting at least two charging stations with universal vehicle compatibility, and capable of getting drivers back on the road in 20-30 minutes.
Each member company will have the discretion to set its own pricing model and select its own charging equipment provider.
The impetus for the Electric Highway Coalition emerged from AEP’s own efforts to introduce EV charging infrastructure. In 2018, AEP Ohio launched a $10 million program to deploy 375 charging stations in partnership with local governments, workplaces and multi-family dwellings to increase publicly available charging sites and demonstrate the benefit of public-private partnerships as part of the Smart Columbus initiative. The program included a requirement to locate 10 percent of charging stations in low-income areas, a benchmark that was exceeded.
AEP has committed to replacing its 2,300 cars and light-duty trucks with EV models by 2030. Additional medium- and heavy-duty vehicles will transition to hybrid or electric alternatives as models become available. The charging network announced today also will enable AEP employees to use EVs to travel throughout the company’s 11-state service territory. AEP also is working with select customers across its service territory to help them understand the benefits of electrifying their own vehicle fleets or business processes.
The Electric Highway Coalition is seeking additional utility company members as it seeks to further extend the network’s reach.
