Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Ev Charging Metering topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Industry urges changes as committee weighs SB 150 to require weights & measures inspection of EV chargers
Summary
SB 150 would bring public EV charging ports under the Division of Weights & Measures, requiring licensing and periodic meter testing to ensure drivers are billed for the kilowatt‑hours they receive, with a proposed $175 annual fee per meter in the draft amendment.
Sen. David Waters introduced an amended version of Senate Bill 150, which would add a definition of "electric vehicle charging station" and place chargers under the state Division of Weights & Measures for licensing and annual accuracy testing similar to gas pumps and other commercial measuring devices.
The amendment sets a regulatory framework tied to NIST Handbook 44 standards and includes an annual inspection fee proposal of $175 per meter (the bill text ties fee to an inspection/certification program). The amendment establishes an implementation date (Jan. 1, 2027) to allow the Division of Weights & Measures to acquire testing equipment and train staff and clarifies exemptions for chargers that are not available to the general public or are physically/electronically secured.
Industry witnesses including ChargePoint and Revision Energy opposed the bill as written. ChargePoint and other vendors said equipment for testing can cost $50,000–$100,000; an annual inspection interval of every year for hundreds of public ports would be resource‑intensive and could create bottlenecks. ChargePoint suggested a 2–3 year inspection interval and noted many operators rely on manufacturer testing; vendors also urged a lower per‑port fee (ChargePoint cited other states’ fees at $100 or less per port).
Ski area, resort and tourism witnesses (Loon Mountain, Ski New Hampshire) said chargers are an important amenity for guests and worried high recurring fees, long certification delays or additional red tape could deter installation and slow tourism‑related charging deployment.
Division of Weights & Measures Director Cheryl Ayer and Deputy Director explained the proposal through the lens of consumer protection and equity: many commercial measuring devices are licensed and certified annually; EV charging stations that accept payment for kilowatt‑hours should be certified so customers receive the energy they paid for. The division said its fees have not been adjusted in years and that the department would cover upfront equipment purchases from existing dedicated funds and seek to recover costs through licensing fees; it also proposed registering service technicians and using a mixture of state testing and witnessed testing by registered service companies.
Questions from committee members focused on fee levels, inspection frequency, exemptions (private employee chargers vs. public), compliance mechanisms and whether Tesla/NAS sites would be subject to inspection. Weights & Measures said publicly accessible paid chargers would be in scope; privately secured workplace chargers would be excluded. The committee took testimony but did not take a final vote.
