All consumers to pay for EV chargers under power monopoly 'waiver'
A bitter fight is brewing between EV charging companies and poles-and-wires companies, and now a regulator has weighed in.
The Australian Energy Market Commission has given preliminary approval for electricity networks to charge all households for the cost of installing public electric vehicle (EV) chargers. This proposal, backed by the federal government, aims to speed up the rollout of charging points by recovering costs from all consumers. The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) decided that the benefits of accelerating EV charger deployment would outweigh the costs to consumers, who would have to pay regardless of ownership.
The decision, set to be finalized by year-end, would affect customers across the national electricity market. While the ruling would enable the installation of about 14,000 chargers, covering roughly 30% of the needed 40,000 units, the remaining cost would be passed on to consumers via a modest annual increase in their electricity bills.
Supporters argue the move will help bridge the gap between growing EV adoption and insufficient charging infrastructure, particularly in urban areas where off-street parking is limited. Critics, however, contend the ruling will harm consumers by empowering monopolies and stifling competition in the EV charging market.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
