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New regulation sheds some light on how electric car infrastructure players will be able to make money and compete in the emerging marketplace.

The upcoming rollout of a generation of plug-in vehicles — and the commitment of many governments to support it — brings with it a new ecosystem of opportunities related to vehicle charging, from building and installing equipment to operating charging stations to developing software that manages the flow of electricity. But among the key uncertainties facing this nascent market (and potential investors in it) is the question of how utility regulators will handle providers of charging services. In California, expected to be one of the earliest and largest markets for plug-in vehicles and a model for other markets, the state's Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has stepped closer to answering that question in recent weeks, inviting stakeholder to weigh in last week. The resulting back-and-forth offers a glimpse of how the upcoming rules will shape opportunities in the market for electric vehicle infrastructure and services, and also of business models and partnerships that are likely to see success in coming years.