Utility Expert Questions & Answers
Local and National Forecast
Q: There are currently just under 7,000 electric vehicles registered in Nebraska, many of them concentrated in the larger cities of Lincoln and Omaha. How are we doing in terms of meeting infrastructure needs—especially for neighborhoods, multifamily housing, and small fleets? Do you anticipate the same rate of growth we've seen over the past year?
Marc Shkolnick: There's a lot of uncertainty around EV growth in the coming years, especially with federal tax credits expiring at the end of September. National EV adoption rates have dipped slightly—down from 10% to 9% year over year—and we've seen a similar trend locally. There’s about 3.5% of new vehicles registered in the LES service territory were plug-in vehicles this quarter. Factors like new tariffs, a drop in Tesla purchases, removal of tax credits may be contributing to the softening of the market.
Rather than planning for rapid short-term growth, we're focused on steady, long-term progress. That includes preparing infrastructure to support future demand, with particular attention to local neighborhoods, multifamily housing, and small fleets.
Q: How big is the EV presence in the Metro area today? We heard Nebraska’s adoption rate is around 4–4.5% EV share while the U.S. is at 9%. What’s driving adoption faster elsewhere?
Bridgett Petzoldt: In the metro area at our last check, we were at about 6,100 registered EVs. Utilizing a vehicle per household estimate, we are currently sitting about at 1%. While these numbers are still relatively modest compared to cities with stronger policy and market support, it’s not that we’re behind—it’s that we’re approaching EV adoption in a way that fits our customers.
In Nebraska, especially Lincoln and Omaha, EVs are most commonly adopted by drivers who have a consistent daily commute, access to home charging, and shorter driving distances overall. Small business owners, government fleets, and some delivery services are also starting to adopt EVs, especially when they can save on fuel and maintenance costs.
Q: From NPPD’s statewide perspective, what does the EV growth curve look like beyond Lincoln and Omaha? Are you seeing similar jumps in other cities and rural areas — and what does that mean for grid planning and charging needs?
Chad Pinkelman: We are starting to see adoption in rural communities and smaller towns, particularly for second vehicles, school buses, and even some utilities. NPPD is starting to get a couple of EVs in our fleet. There’s other municipal use cases where daily mileage is predictable. That said, long distances, heavy-duty needs for farmers, limited charging options, and long trips still make EVs a tough fit for many rural drivers today.
It’s not that we’re behind—it’s that we’re approaching EV adoption in a way that fits the reality. As infrastructure grows and technology improves, we’ll see more charging out there. Rural communities can play a role now in shaping what comes next. For example, small towns can explore grant opportunities for public charging stations, rural co-ops can partner on pilot programs, and ag producers can keep an eye on emerging technologies like electric pickups or hybrid tractors.
Infrastructure Costs
Q: What should fleet managers and multifamily property owners expect when it comes to the cost of EV charging infrastructure? Can you give us a ballpark range for installation, and what factors tend to drive those costs up or down?
Jennifer Bangert: It depends on what type of charger the customer wants to install, because a Level 2 charger and DC fast charger are very different when it comes to pricing. Level 2 charging equipment can cost anywhere between $500–$5,000 per unit, but that doesn’t necessarily include installation costs. That can be determined when it comes to what does the site infrastructure offer. DC fast chargers are bigger and faster. They can charge a batter full from empty in about 20 minutes, which makes it more expensive. These installations can be anywhere between $50,000 to $100,000+ installed.
The biggest part that drives cost up or down is planning. Pick parking stalls that are near existing electric services. If you’re building new, install spare conduit. There are a growing number of 120-volt and 240-volt low-cost plug options that don’t require elaborate equipment and allow for self-serve payment using a mobile device and QR code.
Q: What role do utilities play in helping manage or offset costs?
Jennifer Bangert: Planning is the biggest key when it comes to installing chargers, so contact your electric utility early. Have your utility evaluate the property, check the infrastructure there, check the power load that you’re expecting to come online, and help make sure you’re placing chargers right.
Q: Are there ways to phase in infrastructure without taking on full cost upfront?
Jennifer Bangert: Absolutely. Putting that extra conduit in during the build of a new construction. Start small with one or two chargers and if they’re utilized a lot, that’s a great opportunity to install more. The extra conduit will remove the need to tear out your hardscape and landscape, and do repairs.
Policy & Funding
Q: With the Trump administration rolling back EV mandates, are there any federal incentives or tax credits that can support property managers or small fleet owners wanting to electrify?
Bridgett Petzoldt: The One Big Beautiful Bill included a temporary tax deduction on U.S.-assembled green vehicles, although that incentive is expiring at the end of September. There’s also tax credits available for charging infrastructure installed in certain census tracks and that is available through June 30th, 2026. The NEVI program is designed to facilitate the installation of over 500,000 public EV chargers along designated alternative fuel corridors by 2030. However, in early 2025, the Trump administration initiated a temporary freeze on the distribution of NEVI funds. In June, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction, allowing 14 states access to the funds.
In August, the U.S. DOT issued revised guidance that all 50 states are now eligible to participate in the program. States are now being encouraged to submit EV Infrastructure Deployment Plans on how they intend to use the funds. The states only have until September 12th to resubmit their plans and we’ve reached out to NDOT and offered our support.
Q: Who can receive NEVI funds and how do you go about requesting them from the Nebraska Department of Transportation?
Bridgett Petzoldt: NEVI funds are awarded to state DOTs based on approval of their submitted plan. Previously NDOT has planned to launch an RFP process to award funds according to the winners of the RFP.
Q: Is Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offering grants for the installation of EV chargers through its Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program?
Bridgett Petzoldt: Yes, HUD’s RAD program can be used to fund electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. The program allows Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) and property owners to finance property improvements, including the installation of EV chargers.
Q: How can small towns and rural communities get support if there’s no federal funding or utilities filling that gap right now? Are there private companies putting in these chargers?
Bridgett Petzoldt: There is some private work being done, typically along the main travelled routes where the finances make sense. The new guidance from NEVI encourages states to look at opportunities for funding outside of AFCs (alternative fuel corridors) so that may provide a funding opportunity if the state receives approval for the plan. Additionally, the Nebraska Energy Office Dollar and Energy Savings Loan program offers low-interest loans (5% or less) of up to $500,000 for alternative fuel projects – including construction and equipment.
Q: Last year, Nebraska passed a law that prevents public entities from installing DC fast chargers within five miles of a privately owned one. While this was meant to protect private investment, it can have unintended consequences—like preventing cities from placing chargers in areas where private businesses don’t see a strong profit incentive, including lower-income neighborhoods. How can policymakers and planners balance private sector growth with public interest and equitable access to EV charging?
Bridgett Petzoldt: One of the key reasons behind recent legislation on EV charging is concern from traditional fuel providers—like gas stations, convenience stores, and travel centers—that utility companies might dominate the rollout of charging stations, potentially squeezing out private businesses from this emerging market. For utilities, the buffer zone is quite large and they can create hurdles for installing chargers.
But this legislation isn’t meant to block progress in communities. In fact, local development of charging sites is still very much possible and encouraged. The real challenge is making sure chargers are available where and when people need them. That means building ahead of demand, which can be tricky. If chargers sit unused for too long, they risk falling into disrepair, becoming outdated, or even being vandalized. All of that drives up costs for the people who own the sites—and eventually, for the drivers who rely on them.
The goal is to strike a balance: encourage innovation and investment, while making sure access to charging is fair, reliable, and future-proof.
Q: What about other costs for EV users? Is Nebraska exploring a Road Usage Charge to replace declining gas tax revenue as more drivers switch to EVs? What might that look like for local residents and small fleets?
Bridgett Petzoldt: For those who may not be familiar, since more than 80% of EV charging is done at home, the states lose out on collecting tax revenues at the pump that are used to fund road improvements. To help close that gap, Nebraska currently charges EV owners a $150 annual registration fee, and plug-in hybrid drivers pay $75. These fees are meant to ensure all drivers contribute to the upkeep of roads, regardless of how their vehicles are powered.
There was an effort by several U.S. Senators to include a federal EV fee in the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), but that proposal was ultimately removed. Why? A mix of concerns, including the lack of a clear and secure system to manage and enforce such a fee nationwide.
Battery & Charging Innovation
Q: Considering the billions of dollars being invested in battery technology and DC fast charging, what advancements should local decision-makers be watching — especially for shared or public charging?
Chad Pinkelman: Even with some recent policy rollbacks, we’re still seeing the impact of earlier legislation that pumped billions into EV battery research, development, and manufacturing. Companies are also investing heavily in U.S.-based battery plants, which will help address key concerns like cost, charging time, and sustainability.
For property owners and fleet operators, it’s important to understand how charging standards and speeds factor into planning. There’s a big push to expand beyond Level 2 chargers to DC Fast Charging, which can significantly reduce charging time and improve travel range. But fast charging isn’t always the best fit for every situation—it’s more expensive to install and not all EV models are compatible. Level 2 charging may still be the most practical and cost-effective solution—especially for overnight or routine charging needs.
Q: How do things like the North American Charging Standard and new adapter technologies play a role in that expansion—particularly for multifamily housing, small fleets, or rural communities?
Chad Pinkelman: These groups often have limited space and budgets for chargers, but Tesla recently opened its North American Charging Standard or NACS for other automakers and charging network providers to adopt. Currently, the Combined Charging System is the most widely used standard across the U.S., but by adopting NACS or using adapters, property or fleet owners can provide charging infrastructure that can serve a broader range of EVs regardless of brand, helping make charging stations more flexible and cost-effective, which is critical for expanding access in apartments, workplaces, small towns, or rural areas where infrastructure is still developing.
Q: Older multifamily buildings can be especially challenging when it comes to adding EV chargers—due to limited electrical capacity, parking constraints, or outdated infrastructure. What technical assistance is available to help property managers overcome these barriers and get started?
Madison Schmidt: Charging infrastructure can be really complicated when starting from scratch and made especially difficult when working with older sites that weren’t built for it. As a Department of Energy fully-designated coalition, we can facilitate a meeting with National Lab Technical Assistance services. Technical Response Service representatives are seasoned experts who will help you find answers to technical questions about alternative fuels, fuel economy improvements, idle-reduction measures, advanced vehicles, and Clean Cities and Communities and related resources. Using this resource as well as our network of Nebraska utilities, fuel providers, and community leaders, we can help get you in contact with the right people to face these challenges.
Grid Impact
Q: How ready is the current grid to handle EV demand in Nebraska — especially if much of it comes from multifamily properties and fleets charging overnight or during peak hours? Are utilities using demand management tools—like time-of-use rates or smart charging—to reduce strain on the grid?
Marc Shkolnick: Based on current projections for adoption, we don’t see a significant concert with facilitating this added electric load, particularly level 2 charging. In fact, a study we conducted back in 2018 to 2021 indicated that a vast majority of charging occurred overnight at home and that customers weren’t charging every day, so there is a significant amount of diversity in the time and days of the week EV owners charge. As we roll out smart metering in the future, we can further help shape charging behavior to benefit the overall efficiency of the grid.
When it comes to fast charging DC stations, we need to be more intentional with the customer as that often can be hundreds of kilowatts of power to support in one location. As Jennifer mentioned before, getting in contact with your electric utility early makes charger installations a much smoother process to get charging up and running.
Audience Questions
Q: Are any of the panelist aware of where Shell chargers are going to be installed in Nebraska?
Marc Shkolnick: We aren’t aware of Shell specifically, but we are starting to see more agreements between DC fast charging networks and filling stations. IANA, a consortium of six or eight vehicle manufacturers, they’ve gone together to expand the amount of DC fast chargers with high reliability and amenities. The manufacturers realized that key is having reliable fast charging across the highways to limit range anxiety.
Chad Pinkelman: In rural Nebraska we’re starting to see hotels install Level 2 chargers where it makes sense.
Bridgett Petzoldt: For the metro area, we see various national charging firms installing chargers. Wal-Mart is taking a good approach in Omaha, but we often don’t hear about it until it’s up and running. I don’t know about Shell, but I know Pilot is approaching it a little aggressively.
Q: There’s a common misconception that EVs are only for wealthy people—which often leads to resistance when it comes to placing charging infrastructure in lower-income neighborhoods. But with more affordable models like the Chevy Bolt and a growing used EV market, access is changing. How are you thinking about equity in your EV infrastructure planning, and what can be done to ensure all residents—regardless of income or ZIP code—can participate in the shift to electric transportation?
Bridgett Petzoldt: Equity is essential in the EV transition and OPPD is actively supporting regional efforts through partnerships with MAPA and other local organizations to help support underserved areas, ensuring that future infrastructure planning reflects community needs. We recognize that EVs are becoming more accessible and that’s why we’re committed to supporting education and outreach that help all residents benefit from cleaner, more affordable, transportation.
Q: How are utilities working with cities or developers to identify priority areas for EV infrastructure especially multifamily housing, rural towns, and underserved neighborhoods —and are those plans public or accessible to local decision-makers?
Chad Pinkelman: Utilities have an obligation to serve the electric needs when a new customer wants to install EV charging. We want to make sure the location makes sense. Mentioned earlier, installing close to existing infrastructure so it’s easier to install where the charging is needed, such as highway intersections for fast charging, and parking lots and stalls for longer term charging. Rural multi-family housing adoption has been slow. We are working to get Level 2 charging in those areas.
The local decision makers are involved in some of that planning, so if you’re interested in knowing more you can contact your local utility and local decision makers.
Kim Morrow: The City of Lincoln partnered with our local school district, Lincoln Public Schools, to create an EV charging infrastructure plan jointly. Some of the public chargers and infrastructure would go on land owned by the school district which is spread across the city and the other half would be installed on land the city owns. We work together to do a GIS analysis that would show us where we could optimally place chargers that would be in proximity to low income multi-family housing and that would also be no further than a 6 minute drive away from each other. Any resident would have no further thana 6 minute drive to get to a charger.
We have come up with 17 sites across Lincoln. About half on LPS and half City of Lincoln. We reached out to Jennifer at LES and she did an analysis to help us understand the underlying electrical infrastructure that would be associated with each site. That helped us narrow down whether that site is really an appropriate location. We’re then going to make a phased plan where we identify which chargers we’ll install in year one, two and three. This is partially dependent to funding.
Q: Given how long grid upgrades can take, what steps are being taken to shorten interconnection timelines for EV charging projects, especially in rural or underserved areas?
Marc Shkolnick: We haven’t run into a situation where we haven’t been able to serve a load. There are options that could be deployed if there was significant issue getting a particular large transformer in where you could size the transformer that it is ample enough to get a fast charging location off the ground and running. Once the larger transformer comes in, you can bring that in. There’s different creative approaches that can be taken in certain circumstances.
Our best efforts, echoing Jennifer, is trying to alert the community that the best way to shorten the timeframe is to work early the utility. There isn’t a lot we can do with supply chain issues, but we try to be as efficient and upfront as possible with what we have control over.
Q: 95% of U.S. trucking companies operate small fleets, and many are now looking to transition to electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles—equipment that requires power levels comparable to large commercial buildings. At the same time, grid upgrades like transformer replacements or new substations can take months or even years. What kind of growth are you anticipating in this space, and how are utilities preparing to manage the increased demand and streamline upgrades to support small fleet electrification?
Chad Pinkelman: We’re seeing significant demand growth with data centers and AI needs. OPPD is pursuing additional capacity upgrades and generation upgrades with solar, wind, and gas. For these large trucking stations there’s a new Megawatt charging standard, so they’re looking to charge a truck at a megawatt instead of 150 to 350 kilowatts. Planning a substation that big is long term process and will take a while. Getting ahead of this early is key so the utility has time to plan.
Bridgett Petzoldt: We launched a fleet webpage to provide some high level education to for commercial customers who are considering that. Fortunately, we are in a part of the country where adoption is slower so it gives us the opportunity to watch what our peers are doing in more aggressive parts of the country. We keep an eye on Tesla because they do a lot of work the space. Our biggest fleet is Amazon. It was a new build and they worked very closely with us to bring on new vehicles and monitor that load.
There are fleets that don’t have a utility partner to talk to and don’t know how to being the process. The biggest key for electrifying any size of fleet is getting in contact with your utility early so we can provide guidance.
EPRI Questions & Answers
Q: You identified 44+ solutions in this project. Could you share a few practical, high-impact ideas that local utilities or property managers could act on quickly — especially those ‘low hanging fruit’?
Katherine Stainken: I’ll highlight two additional solutions. In that informational phase, one of the biggest things was that the customers want more information and don’t know where to look. Developing an online library of information and resources specifically geared towards small fleets and multi-family housing customers and making it easily accessible from multiple places is one of the easiest solutions. Informing the customer sooner in the process would be helpful.
The second solution found in the Step 2, sending the service request, is the utility providing a checklist, flowchart, or suggested timeline of what’s going to happen throughout the process to the customer. This provides transparency on how the process works to set expectations.
Q: Regarding GridFAST, can you share how small customers can use this tool to start their energization journey, and how it helps get them connected to utilities in their area like the folks represented on the panel today?
Jennifer Robinson: We encourage utilities to sign up because it’s free and you can put yourself out there for customers. Utilities don’t need to create a profile because the EPRI concierge team will manually match a customer with an appropriate utility not yet on the platform in their location.
Q: How does a utility get notified if a customer starts using GridFAST?
Katherine Stainken: The customer has to share a project with a utility when they’re ready. That’s just sharing, not the official service request. Once you’ve shared it, you’re matched with a utility, there’s an exchange of information, and then submit the official service request.
Q: Could you compare GridFAST with other available tools like Xendee, Sandia MDT, etc.?
Jennifer Robinson: We’ve not worked with those specific people before, but we worked with other DOE projects. We want to make sure that fleet operators are given the tools to estimate the minimum load. This is primarily a starting point for conversation with the utility, and it will continue to be tweaked and honed as conversations continue. Customers can also have a conversation about managed charging and appetite for flexibility with their fleet going forward.
Katherine Stainken: The tool isn't so much to help you design or engineer the site, but it's to capture the pending loads for the utility, so that the projects and tends can be captured into distribution planning processes, scenario planning, etc.
Q: Is GridFAST modulable (open-access) so users can add new addons to the software? e.g., local climate, ect.
Jennifer Robinson: At this point in is not modulable, but the project is just getting started and that's part of the conversation EPRI wants to have with partners. As the tool evolves, it may expand to include customizable default information such as local climate, vehicle being considered, battery size, etc.
Q: Your research found that customers often show up unprepared for the utility process. What should property managers or small fleet owners do before they call their utility to save time and money?
Jennifer Robinson: Some customers are approaching EV charging for the first time, and often it’s a brand new relationship with their utility. It’s good to make sure customers have a good sense of resources available to them starting with the utility website and the other websites we’ve talked about.
Katherine Stainken: The more a customer starting on this journey can learn from the utility ahead of time by using GridFAST or another website would be best.
Q: The roadmap talks about managed charging and non-wired alternatives. How can these help small fleets or multifamily sites reduce upgrade costs and avoid bigger grid impacts?
Katherine Stainken: Managed charging can help lessen the impact on the grid by having customers commit to charging at a certain time. If the impact is smaller, customers may not have to pay to upgrade to a larger transformer.
There’s also Flex Connect where customers agree to curtail their charging load at certain times based on real-time conditions. When you enter your project into GridFAST the tool will ask you if you need all of the power today, or in the future.
Q: This roadmap is one piece of a bigger shift. What’s next in your CIISR project — what future trends could change the service connection process in the next few years?
Katherine Stainken: As we’re getting to scale we’re going to see a lot more change and best practices emerge. On the service connection journey, that is for a one-way power flow. As we see even more two-way power flow between vehicles and the grid that service connection process may look totally different. More research is definitely needed there.