See attached here, a letter from Colorado businesses, business associations, and fleet operators, in support of Xcel Energy’s Transportation Electrification Plan (TEP) and its proposed investment in electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, fleet advisory services, and consumer EV education.
Here’s the full text:
Colorado Public Utilities Commission
1560 Broadway, Suite 250
Denver, CO 80202
Re: Proceeding No. 20A-0204E, Business Support for Xcel Energy’s Transportation Electrification Plan Dear Chairman Ackermann and Members of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission,
We, the undersigned businesses, business associations, and fleet operators, write in support of Xcel Energy’s Transportation Electrification Plan (TEP) and its proposed investment in electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, fleet advisory services, and consumer EV education.
Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Colorado and a major contributor of local air pollutants that form ground-level ozone and exacerbate respiratory illnesses for many Coloradans on the Front Range. Shifting our transportation system to EVs will dramatically reduce air pollution, improve public health, and save consumers money. Electric utilities like Xcel Energy are well-positioned to help Colorado businesses unlock the benefits of transportation electrification.
Xcel Energy’s proposed $102 million investment in electric transportation is good for businesses, the environment, and consumers. Importantly, more than half of the proposed TEP budget is dedicated to Commercial EV charging programs including significant investments in public and workplace charging infrastructure, and fleet advisory services that will help businesses transition our fleets to electric.
Fleet operators around the country are saving money by switching from gasoline vehicles to EVs. For example, the City of Sacramento has 80 EVs in their fleet which, according to their fleet manager, cost 6 cents per mile for both operation and maintenance, compared with 24 cents per mile for the gas-powered light duty vehicles in their fleet. We also support Xcel’s proposed workplace charging program, which will bring down the cost of EV charger installations at our facilities. Employees with access to workplace charging are six times more likely than the average worker to drive an EV.
As we continue to grapple with the economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, Xcel’s proposed TEP investments in EV charging infrastructure can help stimulate the economy and create local jobs in engineering, construction and electrical work while also supporting the growing number of EV manufacturing companies in Colorado. Additionally, EVs are already paying more into the electric grid than they cost to serve. This means plugging more EVs into the grid will help all Xcel customers save money on their energy bills – even the ones that don’t drive an EV.
We are pleased to see Colorado taking a leadership role in advancing clean transportation and we urge you to approve Xcel Energy’s Transportation Electrification Plan. TEP adoption will help businesses save money and drive economic growth, all while addressing the climate crisis.
The following Colorado businesses support Xcel Energy’s proposed Transportation Electrification Plan:
