On July 31, 2026, GRID Alternatives, the country's largest nonprofit that makes renewable energy technologies like solar power, battery storage, EV charging, and EVs accessible to underserved communities, released a comprehensive Utility Brief and Utility Playbook. Developed in partnership with the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA), a national nonprofit with nearly 1,000 members spanning the full energy ecosystem, including utilities of every business model, these resources are designed specifically for decision-makers and planners within the utility ecosystem and those interested in promoting affordable charging programs.
As the transportation sector electrifies, a structural divide is emerging between customers. While homeowners benefit from regulated residential prices, tens of millions of renters and multifamily housing residents experience fragmented, volatile EV charging prices. This is a "renter's penalty", where charging at a public DC fast charging station costs up to 6 times more than charging at a single-family home. The Utility Brief explains the "renter's penalty" in more detail and the Utility Playbook outlines solutions utilities can take to lessen the affordability gap.
"Relying on public charging shouldn't mean paying a premium to drive electric," said Zach Franklin, Strategic Impact Officer at GRID Alternatives. "Right now, the renter's penalty' locks millions of multifamily residents and low-income families out of the full economic benefits of the EV transition. This playbook gives utilities a practical roadmap to bridge that gap and ensure that clean transportation is a shared reality rather than a housing-dependent luxury."
"Harnessing SEPA's deep utility-driven insights, this playbook delivers the real-world frameworks needed to build and scale more affordable charging programs," said Ashley Lynn Qua, SEPA's Senior Manager of Transportation Electrification. "Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, these diverse models show how energy affordability can dynamically follow the driver wherever they plug in."
To alleviate the "renter's penalty," GRID Alternatives worked with several utilities and electricity providers to design, implement, and evaluate EV charging projects for low-income EV drivers, including renters, multifamily affordable housing communities, and low-income homeowners. Drawing on knowledge from this programmatic work and insights from the Community of Practice, GRID Alternatives and SEPA developed the Utility Playbook to guide utilities through the recommended steps to develop an affordable public charging program for low-income renters and multifamily housing residents. Additionally, several pilot projects are discussed, demonstrating the various implementation models possible.
As entities that already manage income-qualified discount frameworks, utilities are uniquely positioned to administer these affordability extensions at public or shared multifamily chargers. By designing programs tailored to low-income residents, utilities can ensure that financial relief moves dynamically with the driver.
A well-designed program can minimize the renter's penalty,' providing a consistent, predictable fueling cost for every driver across the service territory. This strategic shift transforms the utility into a leader in economic resilience, providing the predictable fueling costs necessary for all customers to successfully transition to a clean energy future. By modernizing discount programs to reach every port, utilities ensure that the benefits of clean transportation are a shared reality rather than a housing-dependent luxury.
GRID Alternatives was able to produce these resources thanks in part to generous philanthropic support from General Motors and others. The Utility Brief and Playbook are available publicly for download. For utilities and electricity providers interested in diving deeper, free technical assistance is available through GRID Alternatives.
About GRID Alternatives
GRID Alternatives is the country's largest nonprofit that makes renewable energy technologies like solar power, battery storage, EV charging, and EVs accessible to underserved communities. Thanks in part to generous philanthropic support from General Motors and others, GRID Alternatives supports utilities and other electric providers to design, implement, and evaluate EV charging projects for low-income EV drivers, including renters, multifamily affordable housing communities, and low-income homeowners.
About The Smart Electric Power Alliance
The Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) is a national nonprofit leading the future of clean, affordable, resilient power. With nearly 1,000 members spanning utilities of every business model, state commissions and energy offices, consumer advocates and the technology companies reshaping the grid, SEPA produces research, convenes the full ecosystem, and delivers practical guidance that informs some of the most consequential decisions being made in the energy sector right now. Learn more at sepapower.org.
Media Contact
Megan Daly
mdaly@gridalternatives.org
323-514-0078
