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Local dealer’s costly fast‑charger experience pushes commission to study EV charging rates and partnerships
Summary
After a local auto dealer recounted a costly demand‑charge spike from a Level‑3 fast charger, Brainerd utilities staff said time‑of‑use rates, separate metering and public‑private partnerships will be explored to make commercial fast charging viable.
A local dealer’s painful experience with a fast charger prompted the Brainerd City Utilities Commission on Oct. 28 to ask staff to develop rate and partnership options for electric‑vehicle charging.
Tony Bance, general manager at Tanner Motors, told the commission he installed a Level‑3 fast charger to meet manufacturer requirements but encountered long setup delays, regulatory friction and a sharp demand‑charge increase when the unit first drew power. "There is a huge demand," Bance said, describing how the inrush load triggered a spike that materially raised his monthly bill and led him to turn the charger off.
Trent, staff lead on rate design, told commissioners that the utility currently treats commercial chargers as demand customers and that the heavy inrush from Level‑3 stations often forces transformer upgrades and higher monthly demand charges. Staff said the most realistic near‑term relief is time‑of‑use pricing and separate metering to encourage off‑peak charging; staff are also exploring whether a public charging station or a public‑private partnership could spread infrastructure costs and make fast charging financially viable for private hosts.
Commissioners encouraged staff to collect usage data from residential pilot meters, consider metering options, and pursue conversations with existing private hosts. Staff said two residential customers have agreed to separate meters so the utility can model impacts and that the commission could pursue a residential rate class sooner than full commercial relief.
The commission asked staff to develop recommendations and consult with the operations or finance committee as work proceeds; no formal rate change was adopted at the meeting.
