Beaver council agrees new EV charger requests will be told the city lacks capacity
Beaver's council discussed its electric capacity after losing hydroelectric generation this summer. It decided new electric-vehicle charging requests will be told the city lacks capacity and that developers must provide the infrastructure.
Continuing story: Auditing Beaver
Beaver will tell developers seeking new electric-vehicle chargers that the city currently lacks capacity and that they must provide the necessary infrastructure, the council agreed Sept. 8, 2026, according to the meeting minutes. [1]
Why it came up
The city had received a building permit for Tesla charging stations that would draw from an existing transformer. Staff told the council that EV chargers draw peak amperage, unlike most commercial users. [1]
The minutes say the city lost hydroelectric generation this summer and is purchasing power at higher volumes. They describe a separate structure project that would improve stability without significantly increasing capacity, and say a new substation is the long-term solution, but funding and lead times present significant obstacles. [1]
No moratorium
The council discussed a moratorium. The city attorney said state law would limit one to six months. Mayor Matt Robinson opposed a moratorium and favored requiring developers to pay for needed infrastructure, as the city does with waterline extensions. [1]
The council agreed to tell new EV requests that the city lacks current capacity and that the developer must provide the infrastructure. The minutes record no motion or ordinance on the item. [1]
The minutes record discussion and direction to staff, not an ordinance. No moratorium was adopted.
Sources
Reporting by The Utah Ledger from the public records above. AI-assisted, checked against those records.