Friday, July 12, the DC Council’s Committee on Transportation and the Environment, chaired by Councilmember Charles Allen (Ward 6), unanimously advanced out of committee Councilmember Allen’s legislation that sets a goal to grow the availability of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs), which are expected to continue to increase exponentially.
According to the federal Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, the District of Columbia currently has roughly 1,141 EV ports, or only 346 station locations, with just an additional four ports planned as of this release. Much of this existing EV charging infrastructure is largely limited to Downtown.
The “Comprehensive Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Access, Readiness, and Sustainability Amendment Act of 2024” would dramatically increase the number of electric vehicle charging stations in the city, setting a standard for the District to install a number of ports equal to 5% of registered EVs. In addition, the bill sets a clear direction for how to direct federal dollars for charging infrastructure, and it clears the way for renters and condo owners to install charging stations at their homes, with reasonable limits.
“Today, more and more companies are jumping into the electric vehicle market, and the cars being built are better and better at meeting consumer preferences. Most DC residents I know are considering, if not planning, to make their next car an EV. To maintain this momentum and significantly reduce our emissions, people need to be able to know they can charge their cars as easily as they can find a gas pump,” Councilmember Allen said. “This bill puts to paper what the next 50 years will look like as society transforms car use and fights climate change.”
The bill was initially introduced in late 2022. The version of the bill advancing today includes the following provisions:
- Requires applicants for certain permits to install EV charging stations and provide certain data to the District of Transportation (DDOT) and the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE). Applicants will also be required to use Certified Business Enterprises for 35% of projects to install and maintain the EV charging ports.
- Replaces the District’s Electric Vehicle Charging Station Pilot Program with a new Neighborhood Charging Pilot Program to allow DDOT to use federal infrastructure dollars to rapidly deploy EV charging ports in areas lacking EV infrastructure beginning in 2026.
- Directs DOEE to create and publish an Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment and Management Plan in 2026 to help the District assess the electric grid’s readiness and resiliency for EV charging. The plan will identify future charging station locations with equity as a priority and maximize utilization of electric vehicle charging ports to achieve at least 5% of charging ports for District-registered EVs by 2027, while also requiring EV charging port standards to ensure accessibility and charging reliability.
- Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, requires all new or substantially upgraded commercial and multi-unit buildings that have parking lots and garages to include infrastructure that accommodates EV charging stations, and to have a percentage of dedicated EV-ready and EV-installed spaces.
- Establishes an Electric Vehicle Charging Incentive Program to be administered by DOEE and be available to District residents, nonprofits, Certified Business Enterprises, and others to incentivize the purchase, installation, and upgrades of EV charging stations. For example, a homeowner in an older home looking to exercise their “right-to-charge” created by this bill would be able to use a voucher or similar financial resource to supplement or fully cover the cost of purchasing an EV charging station, specifically Level 1 or Level 2, and having it installed.
- Creates a permitting requirement for newly built or renovated single-family homes with dedicated off-road parking (i.e., driveway parking spots or garages) to be EV charging-ready.
- Gives condominium owners and homeowners who are part of a condo or community association the right to install EV charging stations with reasonable requirements and safety restrictions by condo, co-op, or other common interest boards.
- Gives renters the right to install EV charging stations at their place of residence, with reasonable requirements and safety restrictions by housing providers.
- Requires the installation of a direct current, fast-charging electric vehicle charging port when constructing a new - or making improvements equal to at least 50% of the value of an existing - retail service (gas) station that is projected to sell more than one million gallons of gasoline per year.
The first vote for the bill before the full Council will take place after the Council’s summer recess.
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