Too Few Charging Stations May Slow California Electric Car Goals

In 2012, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) set a goal of putting 1.5 million electric vehicles on California roads by 2025. As of September, the state had 334,393 EVs. To get to 1.5 million, it needs to give drivers a lot more places to charge up. The state, however, wants utilities to play a big role in the buildout of charging stations. The power companies are eager to invest, seeing a growth opportunity, but before that can happen, officials need to sort out who will pay for it.

In 2018, state regulators will weigh proposals from investor-owned public utilities Pacific Gas ...