Potomac Edison Public Charger Status on September 17, 2024
Maryland utility-owned EV charging stations are now required to meet uptime standards under Public Utilities Article §7–904, effective October 1, 2023. These standards require 97% uptime, in alignment with the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) requirements.
Per the statute, electric utility companies operating public EV charging stations must maintain this uptime level for each charging station.
…an electric company operating an EV charging network shall maintain uptime standards for each EV charging station in accordance with:
(i) federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure standards and requirements; or
(ii) alternative uptime standards and requirements approved by the Commission.
Md. Code, Public Utilities Article §7–904
The law also mandates quarterly reports that track uptime for each charging station over the preceding 12 months. However, the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) has not yet finalized the template for data submission. Without this granular data, EV drivers, ratepayers, and policymakers are left without the necessary transparency to hold utilities accountable for the millions in ratepayer funds invested in Maryland’s public EV charging pilot program.
Online Charger Audit
In response, this “online charger audit” aims to independently assess charger reliability until utilities provide comprehensive uptime data. The audit involves querying individual charging ports within the Potomac Edison public charging network using the ChargeHub app. Ports listed as “offline” are cross-checked against the network’s native app, which, in this case, is ChargePoint. On the September 17, 2024 charger audit, only one Potomac Edison charging port was reporting offline—Rocky Gap DC2 in Flintstone, MD. The app shows that this DC fast charger has not successfully charged a vehicle since July 20, suggesting an extended outage. Fortunately, another DCFC is available at the Rocky Gap location, providing some redundancy for EV drivers.
Out of the 97 ports across Potomac Edison’s 43 sites, 15 were flagged in the app as having gone unused for over two weeks. While this could indicate an issue preventing successful charges, it may also reflect low usage in remote areas, as found in parts of western Maryland.
One site, located at Myersville Town Hall off I-70 between Frederick and Hagerstown, is not visible on the ChargePoint app. Although it was previously listed, it dropped off about a year ago for unknown reasons. As of August 25, it was still operational when I stopped there to charge.
The cost to use Potomac Edison’s charging stations can fluctuate slightly each quarter. Currently, it is set at $0.21/kWh for Level 2 charging and $0.33/kWh for DC fast chargers, inclusive of state sales and use tax.
As an EV driver, you can play a role in improving public charging reliability by sharing your experiences on crowd-sourced apps like ChargeHub, PlugShare and Chargeway. Reporting issues and leaving reviews helps station operators address problems and helps fellow EV drivers to make informed charging decisions and avoid potential frustrations.
