Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging in the Right-of-Way

By July 31, 2025, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities must open a proceeding to facilitate right of way or pole mounted EV charging across the commonwealth and require electric distribution companies and other identified parties to file deployment plans by Dec. 31, 2025. Plans should include deployment schedules; partnerships with municipalities; measures to ensure accessibility and affordability for rural and low and moderate income communities including renters; a focus on Level 2 or higher chargers; use of utility owned poles; funding approaches (e.g., off peak rates) and maintenance/liability provisions; and annual reporting on installations, pricing, outages/downtime, and root causes. The department must approve, conditionally approve, or reject plans by July 31, 2026, without delaying installations already underway before approval.

(Reference Senate Bill 2967 Section 134, 2024)