The Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee approved two measures on Monday seeking to address access and convenience of residential electric vehicle (EV) charging to boost consumer adoption of EVs.
The first bill (A-1993) would require that developers offer and inform prospective homeowners of the option to install in-home EV charging as part of new construction in certain residential developments. It is sponsored by Assembly Democrats Nancy Pinkin, Dan Benson and Jim Kennedy.
“Taking steps to mitigate the impact of today’s climate crisis is critical if we are to protect public health and our environment,” said Pinkin (D-Middlesex). “With transportation accounting for nearly half our state’s emissions, it is essential that we continue to break down barriers to EV adoption. By providing for more convenient access to charging infrastructure, we can facilitate the adoption of greener technologies.”
The second bill (A-3367), sponsored by Assembly members Gordon Johnson, Jim Kennedy and Dan Benson, would prohibit community associations from unreasonably restricting EV charging and established standards to encourage common interest communities to allow for the installation, use and upkeep of EV charging stations by unit owners.
“With 80 percent of EV charging happening at home, making sure the infrastructure exists and is available is critical for both current and would-be EV owners,” said Johnson (D-Bergen). “More people are now driving zero-emission vehicles than ever before and to keep up the momentum there must be widespread availability of charging in all contexts. Associations can’t just be giving a blanket ‘no’ to proposals on charging stations. There needs to be reasonable consideration.”
“Last session, we set forth strong goals and incentives to increase the number of electric vehicles on our roads and to make progress toward our objective of electrifying our entire transportation fleet by 2050,” said Benson (D-Mercer, Middlesex). “With that comes the need to make it as seamless as possible for homeowners and renters to access charging wherever they live.”
“To have a self-sustaining electric vehicle market in the long-term we have to ensure the charging infrastructure exists to support it,” said Kennedy (D-Middlesex, Somerset, Union). “Right now, it’s still much easier to fill up your gasoline or diesel-powered car than it is to reliably charge your electric vehicle. This legislation seeks to change that so many eager to make the switch can without restriction to access.”
The bills now goes to the Speaker for further consideration.