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Board reviews EV-charger data; Level 3 stations losing money under current usage and demand charges
Summary
Los Alamos County staff told the Board of Public Utilities on May 7 that the county’s two Level 3 public chargers are generating low user counts and are running at a net loss once demand charges and maintenance fees are included. Staff recommended holding the current rate while Public Works installs six Level 2 chargers at the municipal lot.
Los Alamos County staff reported to the Board of Public Utilities on May 7 that the county’s two Level 3 public chargers—at the Municipal Building and the White Rock Visitor Center—are operating at low utilization and are losing money under current billing and maintenance arrangements. Staff recommended no immediate change to the Board’s Level 3 price and said Public Works plans to install six Level 2 chargers at the municipal parking lot this summer and retire free, unmetered chargers.
Joanne (county staff) presented five months of metering and billing data supplied by ChargePoint and the county metering system. County meter totals and ChargePoint dispensed-energy totals differed; staff attributed the difference to station auxiliary loads and conversion losses (fans, power electronics, communications and parasitic loads while the station is energized). The two Level 3 stations had modest user counts over the sample period—an average of about 33 sessions per month at the Municipal Building site and about 10 sessions per month at White Rock—but similar measured demand: roughly 61.45 kW average demand at the Municipal Building station and 59.83 kW at White Rock. Because demand charges dominate monthly bills for the Level 3 sites, staff said the electric expense has averaged roughly $2,004 per month for the two sites combined; with current usage and the $0.58 per kWh user rate, the program shows a net loss in the presented months and staff estimated a break-even energy price in the roughly $1.40–$1.50 per kWh range.
Joanne said additional line items affecting net results include a contractual maintenance fee (five‑year maintenance contract amortized monthly), a 10% ChargePoint service fee on gross revenue, a small cellular communications fee, and an allocated replacement/reserve cost from the Volkswagen (VW) grant that funded the stations. Staff also noted the county’s demand charge rate would not change in a small pending rate package if council approves the proposed tariff adjustments later in July.
Board members and staff discussed whether Level 3 stations at the national laboratory or at other locations compete with the county’s public chargers; staff said the lab has Level 2 chargers and that the county does not currently compete directly for long‑duration daytime parking customers. Board members asked for continued monitoring as Public Works installs the Level 2 chargers and for updated cost/revenue projections once utilization changes.
Direct quote from staff: Joanne said, “So at this point, we’re at a net loss every month” when summarizing the net financial position for the Level 3 chargers under current usage and rates.
Staff recommended holding the current Level 3 rate and revisiting the fee schedule after the additional Level 2 chargers are in service and new utilization data are available.
