Democratic proposals for a statewide program to speed up the buildout of electric vehicle charging stations are picking up some Republican support in both chambers of Virginia’s General Assembly. But backers will have to convince the state’s powerful money committees that the plans are worth millions in new spending.
Widespread electric vehicle adoption “is going to happen, frankly whether we like it or not,” Del. Rip Sullivan, D-Fairfax, told the House Natural Resources Subcommittee Wednesday. “And what we need to do is make sure we’re prepared.”
Sullivan and Sen. Dave Marsden, D-Fairfax, are carrying legislation to establish the Driving Decarbonization Program and a related fund this year. Both lawmakers are also asking that $40 million spread over the next two years be added to the state’s biennial budget.
Under the program, which would be administered by the Virginia Department of Energy, private developers could apply for grants to install charging stations throughout Virginia. Developers proposing projects in “historically economically disadvantaged communities” would be eligible for funding to cover 70 percent of their non-utility costs, while developers with projects elsewhere could receive grants covering 50 percent of such costs.
The program would be capped at $20 million annually, with a quarter of that earmarked for historically economically disadvantaged communities, a designation borrowed from the Virginia Clean Economy Act that refers to low-income communities and those in which a majority of the population are people of color.
This reminds me of a report I heard last week about a Republican law maker from some jurisdiction--was it California?--that the private sector should be responsible for the electric car charging infrastructure.
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