EV Charging Infrastructure Package Introduced in Michigan
A bipartisan legislative package to increase access to EV charging in Michigan was introduced in the Legislature today that would make more charging infrastructure available to all Michiganders on state property, at the workplace, and in condominiums and apartments. It would also create a council to facilitate expansion and management of Michigan’s EV charging into the future.
The bills in the package were sponsored by Senators McMorrow, LaSata, Geiss, and MacDonald; and by Representatives LeGrand, Alexander, Bellino, and Sneller.
The main pillars of that package are:
- SB 409 / HB 4789: Create tax incentives for small businesses and multi-unit housing to install EV charging stations.
- SB 405 / HB 4786: Create a council within the MDOT to produce an EV infrastructure plan to expand Michigan’s charging network.
- SB 408 / HB 4787: Allow the state to install EV charging stations at state “park and ride” lots, either directly or by lease.
- SB 407/ HB 4788: Allow the state to install EV charging stations at state parks, either directly or by lease.
These bills have the potential to significantly expand the access to the benefits of transportation electrification in the state and increase the number of drivers and passengers who can use emission-free electric vehicles. The bills would also make it easier for small businesses and folks that live in multi-unit housing (apartment renters, condominium owners) to install chargers.
The installation of charging stations in state parks and park-and-ride facilities will help nature lovers and commuters (and people who are both!). The creation of the EV Council within MDOT would create a venue whereby rational programs to support EV infrastructure expansion will continue to be created, evaluated, and implemented.
Michigan is the capital and birthplace of the modern automotive industry, and an embrace of policies that support and expand cutting-edge, clean, carbon-free technology will help keep the state at the forefront of the automotive industry and provide the citizens and visitors of Michigan with cleaner air, a stronger electric grid, and a seat at the table of the economy of the future.