ASSEMBLY COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
STATEMENT TO
ASSEMBLY, No. 3075
with committee amendments
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
DATED: SEPTEMBER 13, 2018
The Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No.
3075.
This bill, as amended, would encourage municipalities involved in redevelopment efforts to include plans for the development of publicly available electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure when adopting redevelopment plans. The bill also encourages municipalities to build public EV charging stations by specifically authorizing municipalities to use revenue streams available for funding infrastructure that is related to redevelopment projects for the development of publicly available EV charging stations.
New Jersey’s Energy Master Plan encourages the greater use of EVs by improving and expanding the EV charging infrastructure needed throughout New Jersey. A report of the New Jersey Energy Master Plan Alternative Fuels Work Group identified the development, installation, and maintenance of EV charging infrastructure, both at home and at strategically selected public places, as one of the most significant opportunities for, and barriers to, advancing the deployment and use of EVs in New Jersey.
The development of an electric vehicle charging infrastructure is a critical step in creating jobs, fostering economic growth, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing our reliance on foreign fuels, and reducing pollution attributable to the operation of petroleum-based vehicles. Limited driving distance between battery charges is a fundamental disadvantage and obstacle to broad consumer adoption of vehicles powered by electricity. In order to eliminate this fundamental disadvantage and dramatically increase consumer acceptance and usage of electric vehicles, it is essential that a network of convenient EV charging opportunities be developed.
Municipalities have an opportunity to increase EV adoption by increasing the availability of public chargers, thereby reducing consumer concerns about range anxiety. Range anxiety refers to the concern consumers have in running out of charge and finding themselves stranded. Although most EVs will support the owner’s typical daily drive, consumers worry about the unplanned trips that might cause their vehicles to run out of charge. While most EV charging will be done at home or at work, the development of public EVcharging stations is necessary to support motorists traveling outside their normal routine, and to reduce range anxiety. In addition to providing a real solution to range anxiety concerns, the development of public EV charging stations increases public awareness of electric vehicles.
This bill will further the goal of improving and expanding the State’s EV charging infrastructure by encouraging each municipality, at the time of adopting redevelopment plans under the "Local Redevelopment and Housing Law," to consider planning for publicly available EV charging stations, and when considering the use of various methods available under current law for the financing of public infrastructure components of redevelopment projects, to consider including the development of publicly available EV charging stations in a redevelopment project.
COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:
The committee amended section 2 of the bill out of concern that bill language that would require redevelopment plans to indicate appropriate locations for public EV charging stations could end up restricting the installation of public EV charging stations to specific locations identified in a plan. The committee amended this section to replace the requirement that a redevelopment plan identify appropriate locations for EV charging stations with a requirement that a plan identify proposed general areas for development of public EV charging stations.
Committee amendments to sections 1 and 6 of the bill are technical amendments that update the underlying sections of law in order to reflect recent amendments to those sections.