ASSEMBLY TRANSPORTATION AND INDEPENDENT AUTHORITIES COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 1445

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MARCH 12, 2018

      The Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 1445.

      As amended and reported, this bill directs the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) and the South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA) to equip service areas along the New Jersey Turnpike, the Garden State Parkway, and the Atlantic City Expressway with electric vehicle charging stations.  The charging stations are to provide, at a minimum, level 3 charging, or more current readily available technology.  The charging stations are required to be installed in at least five percent of service area parking spaces in service areas with at least 100 spaces that are open to the public.  The authorities are directed to recover costs for providing the electricity from motorists who use the stations, in proportion to their use.  To pay for the cost of installation of the charging stations, money may be appropriated to the authorities from: private sources, if available; any settlement between the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. or any other appropriate division of the Volkswagen company operating worldwide (Volkswagen), if available as determined by the Commissioner of Environmental Protection; or any settlement between the Department of Environmental Protection or any other State agency or department and Volkswagen, if available as determined by the appropriate agency head.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2018-2019 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

      The committee amended the bill to provide that moneys may be appropriated to the authorities to pay for the installation of electric vehicle charging stations from private sources or money received by the State from either a settlement between the EPA and Volkswagen or a settlement between a State agency or department and Volkswagen, provided that funds are available from those sources.

      The committee also amended the bill to remove the provision that the installation of the charging stations will be paid for through a user fee and to make technical changes to the bill.