The Seattle City Council in late January adopted Seattle City Light’s new 2025-2030 Transportation Electrification Strategic Investment Plan.
The updated plan identifies City Light’s priorities as it continues investing in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, the grid, and its communities.
Electric vehicle adoption in the Seattle area is growing at one of the highest rates in the nation. As of Jan. 29, 25% of new vehicles sold in King County, Wash., are electric.
In the 2020-2024 TESIP, the public power utility focused on developing several key programs to serve customers based on the priorities outlined by initial community engagement.
This included providing technical assistance, resources, and incentives particularly in overburdened communities and to women- and minority-owned businesses and nonprofits.
To date, the utility has:
- Completed 215 electrification assessments with customers.
- Supported the deployment of 905 electric vehicle chargers.
- Directed investments in City-owned and operated charging infrastructure to bridge public charging gaps.
- Installed new chargers for use along the public right-of-way.
- Partnered with King County Metro to support battery-electric bus operations.
- Helped launch the first all-electric bus in the Amtrak fleet.
- Supported 17 women- and minority-owned firms in obtaining industry certifications to install and maintain EV charging stations.
Updated Plan
The updated TESIP approved last month is an important means by which City Light can work to bridge the transportation electrification, it noted.
“We have been working with industry experts to bring new research to inform our strategy and prepare for growing customer demand for electric vehicles,” noted Jenn Strang, Media Relations Manager at the utility, in a post on the utility's website.
“By predicting how quickly people switch to EVs and how much charging infrastructure is needed, we can plan where to build now to enable our customers’ future energy choices. Our work with the International Council on Clean Transportation shows the need for significant growth by 2030. It is estimated that we will need 11,800 publicly accessible chargers in the communities we serve, seven times more than what currently exists,” Strang noted in her post.
The utility partnered with the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods and external community leaders to conduct outreach and engagement with customers throughout its service area.
The community and stakeholder input received through this process has directly informed the investment priorities detailed in this new strategy.
City Light is prioritizing outreach, communication, and education to better serve all area business owners and residents, particularly those in overburdened communities. Additionally, in-person engagements will be expanded to address barriers to charger installations and provide workforce opportunities. This strategy will help ensure that all communities are informed and empowered, it said.
The utility's infrastructure investment strategy "will focus on building more chargers, increasing equitable access, and improving customer experience. By incorporating new technologies and offering financial incentives, we aim to meet growing demand to ensure all residents can access dependable, convenient EV charging options."
City Light’s infrastructure strategy is focused on the following priorities:
- Transit: Assist transit providers with implementing electrification plans, providing technical and engineering assistance, partnering on funding opportunities and ensuring projects address community priorities.
- Public charging: Expand access to convenient, dependable public charging with a focus on equitable investments, building additional chargers that address new technologies and customer preferences.
- Home charging: Help customers access the most convenient, lowest-cost solutions for single-family households as well as advisory services and rebates available for multifamily housing.
- Commercial charging: Assist commercial customers in the planning and implementation of charging projects emphasizing the benefits of electrification for heavier and high-mileage vehicles.
- Workplace charging: Help employers implement charging projects by providing advisory services and financial incentives, especially for small businesses, non-profits, and women- and minority-owned enterprises.
- Non-road vehicle electrification: Assist customers with maritime, aviation, and rail operation electrification.
By 2045, transportation electrification is projected to account for 20% of the utility's total electric load.
"This will require significant investments in grid infrastructure and predictive modeling tools to accommodate growth effectively. City Light is committed to enabling electrification by building a strong and resilient grid to support the transition to electric vehicles while ensuring affordability and reliability. We are implementing strategies like time-of-use rates to balance energy demand and reduce costs. We aim to optimize grid resources through upgrades and modernization."
The electrification enablement strategy includes:
- Developing load management and grid investments.
- Pursuing external funding to support affordability.
- Serving as trusted partners to policymakers to support community.
- Building local economic and educational opportunities with a focus on workforce and business development opportunities.
- Providing career pathways in skilled trades and supporting women- and minority-owned firms.
To learn more about transportation electrification programing, visit https://www.seattle.gov/city-light/energy/electrification/transportation-electrification.
