The Iowa Utilities Board is considering regulations around electric vehicle charging stations after Alliant Energy protested the Iowa 80 Truckstop’s plans to offer stations, reports the Midwest Energy News Network. Under the Iowa 80 Truckstop’s proposal, customers would be charged for each kilowatt hour put into a vehicle; Alliant Energy, the truckstop’s electric utility, claims that selling by kilowatt hour would be illegal under a tariff change, and proposed customers pay a flat charge based on the type of car, the type of charger and the time of day – a process that would require drivers to consult a pay chart. The Iowa Utilities Board is now considering whether a business that provides charging services is acting as a utility, and if the truckstop would be competing illegally against Alliant or another Iowa utility. Previously in response to Iowa 80 Truckstop, the board refused to issue a declaratory order on whether electric energy sold for electric vehicles is considered resale of energy.
