In response to a request made by local electricity provider Liberty Utilities, New Hampshire regulators have opened an investigation into the resale of power at EV charging stations.

Current state law largely prohibits the reselling of electricity, which forces charging station owners to use flat hourly rates. Some 18 states have made changes to allow the reselling of electricity at charging stations by the kilowatt-hour, according to Liberty.

Liberty told regulators that prohibiting the resale of electricity in its service territory “precludes the administrator/owner of the charging station to charge for usage at a per kilowatt-hour (kWh) rate.” It says that customers have complained that hourly fees are too high and that it wants to work with the industry to “make electric vehicle charging stations more economic for customers who utilize such facilities.”

“Electric vehicles are a growing presence in New Hampshire and in New England, and their use is supported by both state and regional initiatives,” the Public Utilities Commission said in its order opening an investigation.

A technical conference will be held next month and staff recommendations are due to the commission by February 26.

Source: Utility Dive