New Legislation Proposed for Electric Vehicle Charging

Individuals with electric vehicles in Armenia will no longer need to sign a new subscription agreement for charging their cars. A draft amendment to the RA law on 'Energy' was co-authored by members of the 'Civil Contract' faction, including Tovinar Vardanyan, Arusyak Manavazyan, and Alen Simonyan. The draft received approval today from the National Assembly’s Economic Affairs Committee and will be presented for discussion at plenary sessions.

According to the legislative changes, citizens will be able to operate charging stations for their electric vehicles only if the electrical network physically allows it. This means that if the allowable load of electrical energy (10 kW) is exceeded at a subscriber's home and the electrical breaker does not trip, the individual will be able to charge the vehicle. Thus, the subscriber can charge their electric vehicle using a single electricity meter without needing to install a new one.

The draft pertains not only to individuals but also to businesses. Entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to set up charging stations next to their shops or cafes without the need for a separate subscription agreement.

Member of the 'Armenia' faction, Tadevos Avetisyan, pointed out that the draft does not address the issues related to unauthorized connections made by citizens from their apartments. As a result, wires from apartments are randomly connected in many courtyards, which could pose an electrical hazard to residents. He called on the concerned authorities to not overlook this issue and to discuss it in the legislative changes.

Another provision of the draft clarifies the status of autonomous power plants with a capacity of up to 500 kW built between 2018 and 2022. The maximum capacity of an autonomous power plant has now been reduced to 150 kW.