Plug-In & Hybrid Electric Vehicle charging impacts: A survey of California´s utility companies

With the growing market of vehicle electrification the need to understand impacts on California´s electricity grid becomes essential to utility providers. This paper reviews the concerns and mitigation efforts by California´s IOUs and MOUs in response to the paradigm shift in light duty vehicle (LDV) electrification; specifically, Plug-In & Hybrid Electric vehicles. Tariff scheduling, pricing structure, and specialized incentive programs are the primary methods with which utility companies are influencing time of day vehicle charging. California´s utility companies currently forecast little impact on state-wide energy consumption out to 2020. However, investigations into local electric power distribution systems show a need to address high expected neighborhood adoption rates. This paper summarizes the special attention needed for local transmission and distribution circuits and poses a short list of prospective consumer-level technologies to help in the alleviation of costly upgrades. Emphasis is on California utility companies, California electricity distribution grid, and current implementable technology.