Electric Vehicle Charging Flexibility: Regulatory Pathways for Affordability and Grid Efficiency
Free Research

Electric Vehicle Charging Flexibility: Regulatory Pathways for Affordability and Grid Efficiency

  • Charging flexibility policy is shifting from pilots to system design. 
  • Price signals and flexible interconnection are emerging as primary commercial tools. 
  • Residential charging flexibility requires scalable program authorization and customer trust. 
  • Planning frameworks must evolve to value flexible load as a system resource. 

Insights from a NARUC Winter Policy Summit Workshop

This report distills key insights from a workshop co-hosted by the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) and the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) at the 2026 Winter Policy Summit. The session brought together approximately 90 regulators, utilities, and industry stakeholders to explore how electric vehicle (EV) charging flexibility can support energy affordability.

Through real-world examples and facilitated discussions, participants identified the most significant opportunities and barriers to scaling EV charging as a flexible grid resource.

A central takeaway is that enabling EV charging flexibility is less a technology challenge and more a matter of regulatory design. Ongoing regulatory and utility efforts are beginning to integrate transportation electrification into grid planning and affordability strategies, but further action is needed to scale impact.

Authors and Contributors:

 

Report: Electric Vehicle Charging Flexibility