Colorado § 40-1-103.3 - Alternative fuel vehicles - definition.

§ 40-1-103.3. Alternative fuel vehicles - definition.

(1) As used in this section, "property or premises", with respect to an electric, natural gas, or liquefied petroleum gas extension or connection of service, includes alternative fuel vehicle charging and fueling facilities in addition to buildings and other improvements.

(2) For the purposes of articles 1 to 7 of this title 40, persons generating electricity for use in alternative fuel vehicle charging or fueling facilities as authorized by subsection (4) of this section, persons reselling electricity supplied by a public utility, or persons reselling compressed or liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, or any component parts or by-products to governmental entities or to the public for use as fuel in alternative fuel vehicles or buying electricity stored in such vehicles for resale are not subject to regulation as a public utility. Electric public utilities may provide the services described in this subsection (2) as unregulated or regulated services. Natural gas public utilities may provide these services as unregulated services.

(3) Owners or operators of property or premises containing an alternative fuel vehicle charging or fueling facility, or the owners or operators of the facility, shall purchase the electricity required for the facility from a public utility with the right to sell electricity to the property, premises, or facility except when the owners or operators of the property, premises, or facility generate electricity on the property or premises for use in alternative fuel vehicles as authorized by subsection (4) of this section.

(4) The owner or operator of a facility that generates electricity for use in alternative fuel vehicle charging or fueling facilities is not subject to regulation as a public utility, if:

(a) The electricity is generated on the property or premises where the charging or fueling facilities are located; and

(b) The electricity is generated from a renewable resource that:

(I) Qualifies as "retail distributed generation" as defined in section 40-2-124 (1)(a)(VIII), if located on the system of an entity subject to the requirements of section 40-2-124. The electric power requirements for the property pursuant to section 40-2-124 (1) include the demand for existing or proposed alternative fuel vehicle charging or fueling facilities in addition to buildings and other improvements.

(II) Complies with section 40-9.5-118, if located on the system of a cooperative electric association; or

(III) Complies with section 40-2-124 (7), if located on the system of a municipally owned utility.

(5) Sale of electricity or natural gas by a public utility to the owner or operator of an alternative fuel vehicle charging or fueling facility is a retail transaction.

(6) An electric public utility may recover the costs of distribution system investments to accommodate alternative fuel vehicle charging, subject to evaluation and cost recovery provisions that are comparable to other regulated investments in the distribution grid; except that distribution system investments that are a component of a transportation electrification plan submitted in accordance with section 40-5-107 are subject to sections 40-3-116 and 40-5-107. The commission shall consider revenues from electric vehicles in the utility's service territory in evaluating the retail rate impact. The retail rate impact from the development of electric vehicle infrastructure must not exceed one-half of one percent of the total annual revenue requirements of the utility.

Source: L. 2012: Entire section added, (HB 12-1258), ch. 147, p. 530, § 3, effective August 8. L. 2014: (4)(b)(I) amended, (HB 14-1363), ch. 302, p. 1275, § 45, effective May 31. L. 2019: (2) and (6) amended, (SB 19-077), ch. 383, p. 3434, § 2, effective May 31.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration in SB 19-077, see section 1 of chapter 383, Session Laws of Colorado 2019.