Utilities Power Change: 

Engaging Commercial 

Customers in Workplace 

Charging

S. Lommele, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

W. Dafoe, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

May 2016

DRAFT REPORT

Workplace
ii

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Utilities Drive Change: Engaging Commercial 

Customers in Workplace Charging

Using electricity to power vehicles can help advance energy security and reduce emissions, and also presents a 

new market opportunity for utilities looking to diversify and offer an added benefit to commercial customers. By 

providing plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging stations for their employees, commercial customers can help 

attract and retain a cutting-edge workforce. These employers also signal a commitment to sustainability and 

demonstrate progressive leadership and a willingness to adopt advanced technology.

Utilities understand the distinctive challenges of their commercial customers, have access to technical information about electrical infrastructure, and have deep experience modeling and managing demand for electricity. As 

stewards of an electric grid that is available almost anywhere people park, utilities that support workplace charging 

are uniquely positioned to help their commercial customers be a part of the rapidly expanding network of charging 

infrastructure.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Workplace Charging Challenge is working with the Edison Electric 

Institute (EEI) to promote and support workplace charging deployment efforts across the country. Many utilities 

are promoting workplace charging both internally and externally, but two Challenge partner and EEI member 

utilities have taken significant steps toward changing the way their commercial customers’ employees commute by 

enabling PEV owners to power up at work.

Two utilities address workplace charging: PSE&G launches pilot to explore potential market 

growth and Southern Company establishes proof of concept with internal program. 

A New Market in New Jersey

Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) is New Jersey’s oldest and largest investor-owned utility. 

The company serves 1.8 million gas customers and 2.2 million electric customers. The PSE&G service area is 

densely populated with a significant number of large employment centers, but the area experiences limited new 

growth. While this makes for a stable customer base, it poses little opportunity for new electricity markets. PSE&G 

launched a workplace charging pilot program to explore how it might be a market growth opportunity and help the 

company prepare for possible future growth in the demand for PEV charging.

From the Inside Out in Georgia

Atlanta-based Southern Company serves 4.4 million customers in a 120,000-square-mile territory and owns electric 

utilities in four southern states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi. Since the early 1990s, 

Southern Company has been part of the research, development, and marketing of PEV transportation and infrastructure, beginning with the deployment of the General Motors EV1 and the Toyota RAV4 PEVs. More recently, 

the utility has supported the growing PEV market with its workplace charging program; first with an internal 

program, then with a new offering for its customers.

Understanding the Market

Both PSE&G and Southern Company unit Georgia Power recognized the possibilities of workplace charging, but 

still they wondered: “If we build it, will they come?” This is an important question for any utility considering a 

workplace charging program for its commercial customers. Fortunately, the unique experiences of each utility 

provide a roadmap for exploring employee and customer interest in PEVs, along with the prospects of charging at 

work.
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Utilities Drive Change: Engaging Commercial Customers in Workplace Charging

Data drives customer engagement at PSE&G while Southern Company unit Georgia Power 

taps into lessons learned from internal customers. 

A Pilot Approach

Faced with limited population growth, PSE&G looked to workplace charging as a way to complement its other 

infrastructure and service enhancements, prepare for the future, and grow demand with its current customers. The 

utility was also interested in understanding how the growth of PEVs might impact its transmission and distribution 

system. PSE&G’s workplace charging pilot program was the result of a strategy to understand, prepare for, and 

develop a new market for electricity.

As a first step, the utility conducted research to understand the opportunities for and barriers to PEVs in its service 

area. PSE&G developed a program for employees to test the concept of workplace charging. Individual employees 

committed to the concept by purchasing or leasing a PEV. In return, the employees enjoy designated parking 

with access to a vehicle charger at the utility’s urban headquarters. The initial program, with 113 chargers, was so 

quickly adopted that PSE&G recently added an additional 10 spaces with chargers.

The employee program helped PSE&G understand that the dense population and large employment centers in its 

service area made it an ideal market for PEVs. However, research conducted by the utility determined that the 

typical commute for residents in its territory was close to 30 miles. For most PEV drivers, this commute distance 

without a means to charge the vehicle during the day would pose range anxiety, a documented barrier to PEV 

deployment. 

To combat this, PSE&G determined that workplace charging could help commuters to get to work and return home 

confidently in a PEV. However, the utility still questioned how the availability of workplace charging might help 

achieve its goal to create a new market opportunity.

PSE&G established a pilot program to address this uncertainty, as well as collect and analyze data about the 

electricity demand from workplace charging. The utility’s goal is to complete the installation of 125 chargers at 25 

sites throughout their electric territory by the end of 2016 and collect data for two years. PSE&G will then use the 

data to build models, develop plans for expansion, and implement contingencies for workplace charging growth in 

the service area. 

Already, PSE&G is using the data to help them understand how to best engage with customers about workplace 

charging, such as understanding the costs and benefits of owning charging stations and determining how much 

assistance to provide customers.

Internal Proving Ground

Prior to promoting workplace charging with its commercial customers, Georgia Power initiated its own employee 

charging program as part of its partnership in the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2009 EV Project. Georgia Power 

received a project award because of the proven experience of its electric transportation group with PEVs and 

electric vehicle charging, making the utility well positioned to be a workplace charging expert. Initially, Georgia 

Power used the award to establish an in-house workplace charging program with 10 charging stations. The program 

was designed to help them gauge internal interest and understand how the availability of workplace charging might 

drive employees to purchase PEVs. 

On Earth Day in 2010, Georgia Power partnered with Nissan for a ride-and-drive event at their corporate offices in 

Atlanta, Georgia, to help employees better understand PEVs, ask specific questions, and see how workplace charging could help them transition to a PEV. The event featured the commercially available Nissan Leaf and helped 

jump start the utility’s own workplace charging program by demonstrating to employees that PEVs were a viable 

way to get to commute to work. The event was a game changer and employees swiftly began purchasing PEVs. 

The opportunity also showed employees that they could drive a PEV to work, charge at the office, and return home 

with confidence at the end of the day. 
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As of November of 2015, 

Georgia Power had more than 

350 employees with PEVs. 

Building on its success with the 

ride-and-drive, Georgia Power 

now hosts an annual event with 

multiple manufacturers providing 

various PEV models available 

for test drives. The utility has 

also expanded free charging at its 

worksites to include more than 

85 Level 2 chargers, 25 Level 1 

chargers, and two direct-current 

(DC) fast chargers. 

With the proven success of its 

internal program, Georgia Power 

was eager to share its knowledge and experience to help its 

customers establish workplace 

charging. Based on an internal 

employee survey, the utility found 

that workplace charging was a 

necessity for most people choosing to commute to work in a PEV 

(Figure 1). 

Georgia Power used that information to develop and launch a 

two-year pilot of five outreachand incentive-based programs 

designed to help its customers 

also implement workplace 

charging.

Connecting with 

Customers

It is important to stay on target 

when starting small. PSE&G 

launched its workplace charging 

efforts with a limited reach. For 

this reason, it was a high priority to focus outreach and engagement efforts to those customers most prepared and 

most likely to move forward with charging station installations. 

Georgia Power, on the other hand, had proven experience with its internal workplace charging program and a long 

history of supporting PEVs. Accordingly, the utility cast a broader net when it began looking to connect with any 

customer interested in learning more about workplace charging.

PSE&G targets early adopters with existing knowledge and experience; Georgia Power 

launches outreach campaign and incentives to educate and win new customers. 

Figure 1. Infographic showing the number of respondents (n) and findings resulting 

from a survey about workplace charging and Georgia Power’s PEV rate plan (www.

georgiapower.com/about-energy/electric-vehicles/what-rate-plan-is-best-foryou.cshtml). Infographic by Georgia Power 
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Utilities Drive Change: Engaging Commercial Customers in Workplace Charging

Sustainability as a Standard

When PSE&G began its search for potential clientele, the utility looked for customers with sustainability targets, 

suitable electrical infrastructure, and a demonstrated interest in workplace charging. Many of their customers had 

previously investigated installing charging stations and determined workplace charging would be a benefit they 

could provide to their employees. Additionally, many of their customers agreed that a workplace charging program 

was an easy expansion of their existing sustainability and marketing efforts. 

The utility also looked for customers who had existing electrical infrastructure that could accommodate charging 

stations. Due to its limited scope, the utility did not want to dedicate resources to customers who would require 

upgraded service or transformers. Finally, the utility asked customers to conduct an informal survey before the 

process began to show that they had at least five employees interested in utilizing the charging stations.

Once PSE&G identified a candidate, it found that it was best to determine early in the process how much each 

customer knew about PEVs and charging stations so the first meeting could build on existing knowledge. 

The utility also recognized the importance of early adopters, like colleges and universities. These organizations 

helped the utility establish proof of concept and sell workplace charging to hesitant customers. PSE&G worked to 

engage certain customers, such as those in leased facilities or remote offices, to better understand the needs of their 

employees. 

PSE&G discovered that frequently many minor decisions had to be made before a commercial customer would 

make the final decision to move forward with workplace charging. Often, there were competing agendas that had 

to be overcome. The utility learned to expect concerns and was prepared to spend time addressing each issue. From 

the initial conversation to ordering the charging stations, the process usually lasted about eight months. 

Once a company agreed to participate in the workplace charging pilot program, the installation process was straight 

forward with PSE&G supplying the equipment and the customer installing the equipment at their site. If installation questions arose, PSE&G deferred to an outside installer or electrician for guidance.

Interestingly, PSE&G also found several situations, including a high-end residential customer, where parking 

spaces are leased to workers employed in an adjacent office building during the day, thus qualifying as workplace 

charging. The charging station also provides residential charging for building occupants during off-hours.

Casting a Broader Net

Based on an internal employee survey, Georgia Power understood that in the designated service area, workplace 

charging was a necessity for most people to commute to work in a PEV. The utility used that information to 

develop and launch a two-year pilot of five outreach- and incentive-based programs designed to help its commercial customers implement workplace charging. They quickly realized that “workplace” had a different meaning 

across audiences and instead chose to focus the program on “businesses,” including multi-family property owners, 

commercial and industrial users, police departments, and apartment residential units. 

The incentive-based program provides a $500 rebate for every alternating current Level 2 charger. A dual-port 

charger with a dedicated circuit is eligible for a $1,000 rebate. Through November of 2015, Georgia Power 

awarded 495 rebates. Nissan has also matched 221 of those rebates, further helping to reduce the cost to commercial customers. Georgia Power’s goal is to have 1,600 business charging sites established during the two-year pilot 

program.

In parallel to its rebate programs, the utility launched both internal education and external outreach programs. Their 

internal education program worked to ensure key account managers had a thorough understanding of PEVs and 

charging stations. Georgia Power used a variety of tactics to educate its sales force, including “lunch and learn” 

events, training programs, and ride-and-drives. These tactics, along with supporting outreach collateral, gave account managers the information and knowledge they needed to identify potential customers and confidently engage 

with them about the costs and benefits of installing charging at their businesses. 

For its external outreach effort, Georgia Power launched a successful media campaign that included radio spots, 

digital and social media, and billboards to educate customers about PEVs and charging stations. This effort proved 
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to have significant reach and impact. In addition, the utility held an annual energy forum for their largest commercial customers to complement other internal and external efforts and to help Georgia Power address the specific 

needs of those customers.

Deploying Workplace Charging

For both PSE&G and Georgia Power, selling the customer on the concept of workplace charging represents the 

bulk of each programs’ effort. The two utilities determined that the actual site assessment, installation, and ongoing 

maintenance were better left to independent contractors. Despite this, both PSE&G and Georgia Power felt it was 

the utilities’ responsibility to make sure there was a smooth transition and that their commercial customers were 

well positioned for success (see Table 1 for a summary of each program).

Setting customers up for success: PSE&G offers free charging stations and streamlined billing 

while Georgia Power provides rebates and offers recommendations on local service providers. 

Through the PSE&G pilot program, each of the approximately 25 worksites pays for installation while the utility 

provides the charging station. PSE&G identified Liberty Access Technologies’ Hydra Controller, an application 

used to manage electric car needs, to supply smart charging capability. As an added benefit to PSE&G, the system 

enables load shedding for demand response events. The Hydra system uses a processor and modem to collect 

and post data, sans personally identifiable information, to a secure website. Individual employers can determine 

whether employees are billed, or otherwise pay for charging time and energy use. If an employer decides to charge 

a fee, the Hydra system allows individual users to pay for charging through an established account similar to that of 

E-ZPass—the same system used to collect tolls on highways.

Additionally, the Hydra system can actively manage charging to multiple vehicles, communicating with owners of 

vehicles in queue to charge. This was important because the single biggest issue PSE&G encountered was that their 

Table 1. Summary of Utility Workplace Charging Pilots

PSE&G Georgia Power

Program Type Pilot program Rebate incentive

Program Description Utility provides and owns charging 

equipment; customer pays for 

installation and electricity use

$500 rebate for each Level-2 charger, or 

$1,000 for a dual-port charger

Charging Equipment Type Liberty Access Technologies Hydra 

Controller

Selected by customer; Georgia Power 

shares list of providers that meet 

standards 

Eligibility Limited program; customers 

selected based on interest and site 

characteristics

Open to all customers based on 

application

Scale Target: 125 chargers at 25 sites by 

end of 2016

Target: 1,600 business charging sites 

established during two-year program

Additional information Contact 

EVworkplacecharging@pseg.com

See details at 

georgiapower.com/EV
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Utilities Drive Change: Engaging Commercial Customers in Workplace Charging

customers did not want to manage employee parking. Therefore, the pilot had to add workplace charging capability 

without adding the additional responsibility of managing parking. 

PSE&G’s experience is that customers often establish websites, such as SharePoint, to foster communication 

between owners of PEVs, where they can share their experiences and best practices.

Leaving Customers in Good Hands

As the number of workplace charging installations increased, Georgia Power had to determine the appropriate 

services and expertise to provide to its customers. This was a balancing act focused on sharing Georgia Power’s 

expertise and providing customers with the information needed to make good decisions, all while connecting 

customers with providers best equipped to meet the unique needs of each company and site. 

From site assessments and charging station selection, to installations and ongoing maintenance, Georgia Power 

wanted to ensure the long-term success of its customers’ workplace charging infrastructure. To help, Georgia 

Power issued a request for information (RFI) for local vendors and installers. From the submittals, they identified 

who could best manage the relationship with their customers. While they did not recommend specific providers, 

Georgia Power did evaluate each provider’s capabilities against a set of standards and shared the list of companies 

who met the standards with customers. 

Georgia Power also developed a program for new construction that provided a rebate for charging stations established during construction. Businesses are eligible for the $10,000 rebate if they install five charging stations and 

establish the infrastructure to add another five chargers in the future.

Gauging Impact

PSE&G and Georgia Power have gained significant insight from their investments in workplace charging. While 

it’s likely that the availability of workplace charging has encouraged more commuters to make the switch to PEVs, 

both utilities continue to collect data and evaluate the impact to their customers, as well as their transmission and 

distribution systems.

Incoming data and customer feedback will help determine next steps for each utility. 

Waiting on a Data Download

PSE&G will judge the success of its workplace charging pilot on the data they collect. The models they create from 

that data will define how they proceed with promoting workplace charging among commercial customers. From a 

customer standpoint, the pilot has been an immediate success. PSE&G has had several customers embrace workplace charging, which is encouraging more of its customers to investigate opportunities to install charging stations.

Bolstered by State Incentives

The initial success of the Georgia Power workplace charging program was bolstered by a Georgia tax credit for 

individuals who purchased or leased a new zero-emission vehicle. The tax credit was equal to 20% of the vehicle’s 

cost, up to $5,000. Low-speed vehicles did not qualify. The tax credit, combined with home charging and workplace charging, created an ideal market for the rapid adoption of PEVs. While the tax credit expired in July 2015, 

the early success of Georgia Power’s workplace charging program has set the stage for continued growth of PEVs 

and charging stations among its customers.

Attaining Success

Thanks to a well-formulated strategy and a clear course of action, both utilities have seen success with their workplace charging programs. Georgia Power established its full-fledged program after an extremely popular ride-anddrive event spurred employee interest; this motivated the utility to hold similar events to achieve buy-in amongst 

its customers. Georgia Power’s robust media campaign, coupled with its incentives, has also solidified its success.
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Similarly, PSE&G’s workplace charging program pilot was the answer to the utility’s need to find new growth 

in a mature market. The pilot program is enabling the utility to collect data that will help it continue to analyze 

how workplace charging impacts the grid, and better understand how to assist customers in establishing their own 

workplace charging programs.
DOE/GO-102016-4857 • May 2016

For more information, visit: energy.gov/eere

U.S. Department of Energy’s 

Workplace Charging Challenge

EV Everywhere is a Clean Energy Grand Challenge to enable plugin electric vehicles (PEVs) that are as affordable and convenient for 

the American family as gasoline-powered vehicles by 2022. To help 

accomplish this goal, the Workplace Charging Challenge encourages 

America’s employers in all sectors of the economy to provide PEV 

charging access at their worksites.

The Workplace Charging Challenge provides resources, tools, and technical 

assistance to implement and manage workplace charging programs, 

and Challenge partners are nationally recognized for their sustainability 

efforts. For more information on workplace charging or becoming a 

partner, contact the Challenge at workplacecharging@ee.doe.gov. For more 

information on EV Everywhere, contact EV-Everywhere@ee.doe.gov.

EV Everywhere Utility Partnership

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Edison Electric Institute (EEI) 

launched the EV Everywhere Utility Partnership (EV Everywhere UP) in 

June 2015 to break down remaining barriers to widespread plug-in electric 

vehicle deployment. Through this partnership, DOE and EEI will work to 

advance the economic, environmental, and national security benefits of 

using electricity as a transportation fuel.

Cover photos (from top) by Rob Kalmach, NREL 

26458; Rob Kalmach, NREL 26459; and Lauren 

Bonar Swezey, NREL 26456

Workplace