Commissioners corner – pump the brakes on requiring EV line trucks

I have mixed feelings when it comes to electric vehicles.

On the one hand, they do cut down on carbon emissions, which is the greatest source of pollution in our state. Manufacturers have made them more efficient, more affordable, and there are more choices in the market. They are here to stay.

One of the things that I still question is their place in the commercial and industrial world. In my former career in the trucking industry, I saw firsthand the loads that were being moved and the sheer power it took for trucks to move them. While vehicle batteries have come a long way, I’m still not sure they have reached the point they can consistently power a truck pulling a huge load or a truck needed to work on utility equipment.

I question the effectiveness of a line truck making a 150-mile round trip, powering lights, tools, and booms, all on one charge. I’m sure that those issues will be solved eventually, but for now it does not make sense to me to require utilities to invest in electric fleets of vehicles when I believe they will have two negative impacts.

The first is cost. At this time, diesel engine line trucks can cost over a half-million dollars apiece. Electric line trucks are even more expensive and increased costs for equipment can lead to higher customer rates.

It’s much the same argument I make when talking about new energy generation: until the costs are comparable to what we are paying now, it’s not right to bring on more expensive technology that might not work as well, which brings me to the second negative impact.

If electric trucks have to be recharged, that is going to mean more time in the field for our crews while they wait for the charging to complete. If they can’t work on damaged lines and poles, they can’t restore power. That means longer outages and more time in the dark for our customers. Those are two things I’m just not willing to tolerate.

Ironically, there have been cases where EV utility trucks were sent into the field with generators to help facilitate recharging. Those generators run on diesel, which emits carbon into the air. If the goal of an EV fleet is to reduce carbon, that seems to defeat the purpose, or at the very least make it less effective.

I am glad to hear that the Washington State Department of Ecology is looking at a possible exemption to EV rules for utility vehicles. Similar exceptions have been made for military and first responder vehicles, and I am hopeful that the critical services utilities provide to their communities and customers will lead to some reasonable rules that allow PUD’s like ours to fulfill our mission.

Electric vehicles have come a long way since they first started to appear on our roads. One day they may be able to serve the needs of utilities. I don’t believe we are there yet and until we are, asking our customers to pay more for services that may not be as reliable or efficient seems like a lot to ask.