How to Become a Compliant NSP
This page is intended primarily for network service providers whose customers are participating in New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) or New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) programs, including but not limited to Charge Up New Jersey and other Clean Energy Programs. This page includes instructions on how to become a Compliant Network Service Provider, charger utilization data requirements, and data collection processes.
EV-ChART
The federal government has developed a set of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) data requirements that will be required for all federally funded EVSE projects. To ease EVSE data requirement submittals to both the federal and state government, New Jersey has adopted a large portion of the EV-ChART requirements.
What is a Network Service Provider?
Network Service Providers (NSPs) offer software that operates smart EV charging stations. This software typically offers an online portal for owners of networked charging stations to manage their equipment. Typically, the portal allows for remote diagnostics, turning equipment on and off, managing access, and reporting data on usage, among other functions. Many NSPs also offer systems for setting user fees and collecting payments.
NSPs usually charge fees for access to their software and may offer tiered service plans. Certain NSPs may only be capable of managing certain makes and models of charging station hardware. The grantee is responsible for verifying that they are purchasing an appropriate and compatible network service plan for their charging station and that this meets program requirements.
Compliant Network Service Providers have demonstrated that they are willing and able to report certain detailed, anonymized charging session data to the EV charging program. Inclusion on the Compliant NSP List is not a guarantee of quality of service, and relevant DEP and BPU programs do not endorse any NSP.
Which Projects Require the Use of a Compliant Network Service Provider?
EV charging station funding programs that are managed by New Jersey state agencies, including New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU), require grantees to utilize a Network Service Provider that can satisfy certain requirements.
These New Jersey agencies maintain a list of Compliant Network Service Providers. The NSPs on this list have already demonstrated that they can meet the data reporting requirements for EV charging programs in New Jersey. Inclusion on the Compliant NSP List is not a guarantee of quality of service, and the State of New Jersey does not endorse any NSP.
NSPs that wish to be included on the list and become eligible for participation in New Jersey EV charging programs should follow the instructions listed under “How to Get Listed as a Compliant Network Service Provider”.
How to Get Listed as a Compliant Network Service Provider
New Jersey agencies provide funding in the form of grants or incentives to offset the cost of purchasing EV charging stations. Electric vehicle charging stations that receive funding from NJ agencies are required to collect and report data automatically via a Compliant Network Service Provider. Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE) is the authorized data aggregator for NJDEP and NJBPU and works with NSPs to execute the required agreements and ensure that NSPs meet the program requirements to submit electric vehicle charging station data.
An NSP that meets program requirements and agrees to the program terms will be added to the list, and its qualified products will be eligible for program incentives. To become a Compliant Network Service Provider, an NSP should:
- Sign and return a Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) to dsa@energycenter.org. CSE staff will coordinate the execution of the DSA template agreement with the appropriate NSP staff.
- Within thirty (30) calendar days of submitting the signed Data Sharing Agreement, a Network Service Provider should be prepared to schedule a technical meeting with the CSE data collection team. CSE will coordinate with Network Service Providers to schedule this meeting after the DSA is executed. Network Provider staff attending the technical meeting should be able to:
- Describe how customers will provide consent for the NSP to share customer data with the program;
- Discuss the program data dictionary with field definitions; and
- Establish an appropriate data transfer mechanism (e.g., SFTP).
The technical meeting typically lasts 30 minutes to an hour and should be attended by NSP staff who can speak in detail about the items above. Follow-up coordination may be necessary after the initial meeting to successfully complete the items.
Any changes or needs relating to the DSA agreement should be directed to dsa@energycenter.org and technical questions or difficulties with data uploads can be directed to njbpu.nsp@energycenter.org.
The solicitation is open indefinitely and accepts applications on a rolling basis. The data specifications are intended to align with those being used by New Jersey electric utility make-ready programs. While the NJDEP and NJBPU consider some data fields to be optional, other entities requiring charger utilization data may require all fields.