Kansas committee weighs SB 380 to bar utilities from rate‑basing EV fast‑charging costs

A Kansas Senate committee on SB 380 heard more than an hour of testimony and questioning on a proposal to prevent retail electric suppliers from recovering the capital costs of electric vehicle (EV) fast‑charging stations through regulated rate bases.

Assistant Reviser Nick Myers told the panel the bill would require utilities to provide "fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory rates and services" to third‑party EV charging providers and would bar a retail electric supplier from including the cost or expenses of its own EV stations in the utility’s rate base, meaning those costs could not be recovered from retail ratepayers. Myers said the measure would apply to "fast charging stations" as defined in the draft (capable of delivering 50 kW or greater at 200 volts or greater), take effect on 07/01/2026 if enacted, and would exclude stations built before that date and stations used only for a utility’s private fleet or employee use.

Supporters representing independent retailers and convenience‑store operators told the committee the prohibition is needed to protect private investment and competition. Ted Augustine, introduced as president of Triplet Inc.,…