South Carolina S 275: EV Charging Stations

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 275 Text of Previous Version (Apr. 30, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 275

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

Indicates Matter Stricken

Indicates New Matter

Committee Report

April 30, 2025

S. 275

Introduced 
by Senators Grooms, Walker, Climer, Zell and Sutton 

S. Printed 4/30/25--H.

Read the first time March 5, 2025

________

The committee on House Labor, 
Commerce and Industry

To whom was referred a Bill (S. 275) to 
amend the South Carolina Code of Laws by amending Section 58-27-10, relating to 
electric vehicle definitions so as to add definitions for electric vehicles and, 
etc., respectfully

Report:

That they have duly and carefully 
considered the same, and recommend that the same do pass:

WILLIAM HERBKERSMAN for 
Committee.

statement of estimated fiscal impact

Explanation of Fiscal Impact

State Expenditure

This bill as amended adds 
definitions for EVs and direct current fast charging stations. Also, the bill 
makes provisions for electrical utilities, local governments, PSA, or electric 
cooperatives to provide and appropriately charge for the make-ready infrastructure 
required to serve the electrical load for EV charging needs or to meet the 
requirements of any state or federal grant funding. The bill further requires 
that electrical utilities, local governments, PSA, or electric cooperatives 
that provide, own, operate, or maintain direct current fast charging stations 
for direct to the public use shall offer fair, reasonable and 
non-discriminatory rates and service to all entities providing similar services 
and shall not act in a way that provides an unreasonable advantage for their 
direct current charging stations.

In addition, the bill limits the 
revenue received from services other than direct current fast charging stations 
by electrical utilities, local governments, the PSA, or an electric cooperative 
from being used directly or indirectly for subsidizing investments in direct 
current EV charging stations owned or operated by such entities. The bill also 
exempts charging stations constructed, provided by, owned, operated or 
maintained prior to the effective date of this act from the above-mentioned 
revenue use restrictions. The bill further exempts from the revenue use 
restrictions the charging stations that are not public facing, are located on 
the premises of electrical utilities, local governments, PSA, or electric 
cooperatives and are used solely for the purpose of serving these entities' own 
EVs or the EVs owned by their employees.

PSA and ORS indicate that the bill 
as amended will have no expenditure impact as both agencies indicate they can 
manage the additional requirements with existing staff and resources.

Local Expenditure

This bill makes provisions for 
electrical utilities, local governments, PSA, or electric cooperatives to 
provide and appropriately charge for the make-ready infrastructure required to 
serve the electrical load for EV charging needs or to meet the requirements of 
any state or federal grant funding. The bill further requires that electrical 
utilities, local governments, PSA, or electric cooperatives that provide, own, 
operate, or maintain direct current fast charging stations for direct to the 
public use shall offer fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory rates and 
service to all entities providing similar services and shall not act in a way 
that provides an unreasonable advantage for their direct current charging 
stations.

MASC indicates that no municipality 
currently offers or has plans to offer direct current fast charging stations 
for public use. MASC further notes that the clarifying language that 
distinguishes between make-ready infrastructure and direct current fast charging 
stations would allow municipal electric utilities to implement or continue 
programs that encourage EV use through the provision of rebates or other 
incentives for make-ready infrastructure installation. Further MASC notes that 
the amended bill would allow municipalities to continue offering Level 2 
charging stations for free public use, which are currently used as a local 
economic development tool to attract more visitors of local businesses. MASC 
also indicates that this bill as amended is fiscally neutral since it protects 
existing investments in make-ready infrastructure for electric charging 
services. Therefore, MASC does not anticipate that this bill will have an 
expenditure impact on municipal governments. 

RFA also contacted all counties to 
determine the potential expenditure this bill may have on local governments. We 
have received a response from the Chesterfield and Beaufort counties. Both 
counties indicate this bill will have no expenditure impact. Based on this 
response, RFA anticipates this bill will have n