FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 15, 2024
Contact: Erik Salmi
202-445-0834

Today, the DC Council voted unanimously to approve on final vote landmark legislation from DC Councilmember Charles Allen (Ward 6) that sets aggressive benchmarks for the installation of both public and private electric vehicle charging stations. The legislation lays out a bold pathway paired with practical solutions to meet the District's ambitious goals of conversion to electric vehicles, with a special focus on increasing the city's investment in charging infrastructure.

“We can't meet the goals and make the change we need without a much more robust electric charging infrastructure. Some people hesitate about going electric because of ‘range anxiety,’ or the fear they don’t know when or where they will charge the car. But we need people to go electric – and fast. This bill sends a clear signal that coming soon, there are going to be a lot of chargers available in places where people live, work, and shop,” said Councilmember Allen, who wrote the bill and serves as the Council’s Chair of the Committee on Transportation and the Environment. “This is an infrastructure bill that sets goals and clears red tape to get more chargers installed where people actually want and need them.”

According to the federal Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, the District of Columbia currently has roughly 1,057 public EV ports, or only 317 public charging port locations. Notably, we have just over 60 charging ports in 145 locations that are offline or unavailable. On the private side, we have 132 EV charging ports in 44 locations. As of 2023, there were around 8,100 electric vehicles registered in the District, an increase of 37% in registrations from 2022. That’s a clear trend showing more and more District residents are interested in purchasing an EV. Notably, that number does not capture electric vehicles driven into the District from other states.

Councilmember Allen’s bill, the Comprehensive Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Access, Readiness, and Sustainability Amendment Act of 2024, sets a bolder goal for the District to install 5% of ports relative to the number of registered electric vehicles and provide a clear direction for how to direct federal dollars dedicated to charging infrastructure. In practice, in coming years, the District will add thousands of charging ports in public spaces and private homes. In addition, the bill clears the way for renters to install charging stations at home with reasonable limits.

“This is a blueprint for leveraging the once-in-a-generation investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other federal grant opportunities. This legislation will undoubtedly accelerate the District’s transition to our renewable energy future, minimize our impact on the climate, and build a healthier, greener, and more resilient city,” Councilmember Allen said.

The bill was first introduced in late 2022. The version of the bill passing 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, enabling DDOT to use federal infrastructure dollars to rapidly deploy EV charging ports in areas lacking EV infrastructure beginning in 2026.
  
  
• Directs DOEE to develop and publish an Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment and Management Plan starting January 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. Under the plan, the District will improve the availability of electric vehicle charging ports by requiring the installation of charging ports equal to at least 5% of the projected number of District-registered EVs projected over a 10-year period, while also requiring EV charging port standards to ensure accessibility and charging reliability.
  
  
• Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, requires all new or substantially improved commercial and multi-unit buildings that have parking lots and garages to include infrastructure that accommodates EV charging stations, and to have a certain percentage of dedicated EV-ready and EV-installed spaces.
  
  
• Establishes an Electric Vehicle Charging Incentive Program to be administered by DOEE to incentivize the purchase, installation, and upgrades of EV charging ports. 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 and installing an EV charging station.
  
  
• 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 with at least electrical capacity to support Level 1 charging – i.e., a standard electric outlet.
  
  
• Gives condominium unit owners, co-op members, and homeowners who are part of a condo or community association the right to install EV charging ports with reasonable requirements and safety restrictions by condo, co-op, or other common interest boards.
  
  
• Gives renters the right to install EV charging ports at their place of residence, with reasonable requirements and safety restrictions able to be imposed 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 bill will next be transmitted to the Mayor for approval.

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