Installers and utilities urge earlier coordination; cite transformer lead times, permitting and communication as main bottlenecks

Mara McDonald, Wave CP program manager at the Department of Commerce, moderated a panel on how utilities and installers work together to turn projects from concept to energized EV charging stations. Panelists included Danielle Kivett (senior clean energy product manager, Puget Sound Energy), Taylor Nathan (PSE economic development manager), and Alicia (general manager, EV Support at Puget Sound Solar).

Alicia emphasized early coordination: "What's really important is early engagement and coordination among all project partners," she said, adding that installers should be brought into site evaluation to identify constructability options that reduce civil costs. Panelists repeatedly urged site hosts to be flexible about charger placement to avoid expensive trenching, and to define operational needs (who is charging and for how long) up front so project scope matches use.

Panelists described the most frequent bottlenecks: transformer upgrade lead times and permitting delays. Taylor said large transformers can have 12–18 month lead times for higher‑kVA units, and Danielle and Alicia noted inconsistent and sometimes slow permitting reviews and unclear easement language as common causes of multi‑month delays. Panelists recommended phased builds, use of load‑management and power‑sharing technologies, improved installer–utility communications, and shared templates or capacity maps to speed feasibility reviews.

The panel closed with practical advice: do your homework early, start utility coordination at project conception, build a realistic phasing plan for large projects, and ensure the station owner defines charging needs before design begins.