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OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 5485
AN ACT CONCERNING TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE
FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
SUMMARY
This bill creates a 40-member Electric Vehicle Infrastructure
Coordinating Council and makes several other changes related to
electric vehicles (EVs). The bill charges the council with assessing and
reporting on strategies and plans needed to ensure affordable, equitable,
accessible, and reliable integration of battery electric vehicles (BEVs),
fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles
(PHEVs), and extended range electric vehicles (EREVs) in the state (see
BACKGROUND).
The council is made up of 20 members appointed by the legislative
leaders and 20 ex-officio members (eight executive branch officials and
12 legislative committee leaders). It is part of the Department of Energy
and Environmental Protection (DEEP) for administrative purposes only
(see COMMENT).
Under the bill, the council’s main responsibility is to give direction
on, review, and recommend changes to the state’s zero emission vehicle
(ZEV) roadmap and hold public hearings on its draft. The bill requires
the DEEP commissioner, Departm ent of Transportation (DOT)
commissioner, and Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA)
chairperson to develop the plan and, by November 15, 2024, submit it
to the council for review. It prescribes the roadmap’s required content
and includes administrative and procedural requirements for the
council.
The bill also does the following:
1. makes changes to the Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric 2024HB-05485-R000336-BA.DOCX
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Automobile Purchase Rebate (CHEAPR) program related to
vouchers for environmental justice community residents and
program marketing,
2. authorizes $10 million in general obligation bonds for EV
incentives and rebates and EV infrastructure,
3. requires electric distribution companies (EDCs, i.e., Eversource or
United Illuminating) to charge residential customer rates for
electricity provided to certain EV chargers at multifamily or
multiuse buildings, and
4. requires DOT to study rural mobility options.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage, except that the bonding
authorization is effective July 1, 2024.
§ 1 — ELECTRIC VEHICLE INFRASTRUCTURE CO ORDINATING
COUNCIL
The bill establishes the 40-member Electric Vehicle Infrastructure
Coordinating Council and primarily charges it with reviewing the draft
ZEV roadmap. The bill covers council membership and appointments,
powers and duties, and administrative requirements and procedures, as
well as the ZEV roadmap’s required components.
The bill specifies that nothing in its council provisions may be
construed to require the adoption of ZEV standards.
Council Membership
Under the bill, the council consists of 40 members, 20 of whom serve
ex-officio and 20 of whom are appointed by legislative leaders (see
below tables). Eight of the ex-officio members are executive branch
officials (or their designees), and 12 are legislative committee leaders.
The bill allows legislative leaders to appoint legislators to the council
(see COMMENT).
2024HB-05485-R000336-BA.DOCX
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Table: Ex-Officio Members
Executive Branch Officials
(or their designees)
Legislators
Commissioners of DOT, DEEP,
Department of Administrative Services
(DAS), Department of Consumer
Protection (DCP), and Department of
Public Health (DPH)
Office of Policy and Management (OPM)
secretary
PURA chairperson
Consumer Counsel
Chairpersons and ranking members of the
Transportation, Environment, and Energy
and Technology committees
Table: Appointed Members
Appointing Authority Number Qualification
House speaker 4 None
Senate president pro
tempore
4 None
House majority leader 3 • Recommended by the Connecticut Equity and
Environmental Justice Advisory Council
• Recommended by a nonprofit motor vehicle
dealer’s association or organization
• Representative of a business that uses heavy-
duty motor vehicles
Senate majority leader 3 • Representative of an environmental protection
advocacy organization
• Representative of a municipal electric utilities
advocacy organization
• Representative of an EV manufacturer
House minority leader 3 • Recommended by an organization representing
large municipalities
• Representative of an EDC with a service area
of at least 18 municipalities
• Representative of a professional organization
for physicians in the state
Senate minority leader 3 • Representative of an electric distribution
company with a service area of up to 17
municipalities
• Representative of an EV charging station
manufacturer
• Recommended by an organization representing
small municipalities 2024HB-05485-R000336-BA.DOCX
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Under the bill, initial appointments must be made by June 1, 2024.
Appointees generally serve two-year terms, except that initial
appointments terminate on May 31, 2026, regardless of the initial
appointment dates. Members may be reappointed or continue serving
until their successor is appointed. Vacancies must be filled by the
applicable appointing authorities. Council members serve without
compensation.
Chairpersons and Meetings
The commission has the following three chairpersons: the DEEP
commissioner and two members of the council selected by the House
speaker and Senate president pro tempore. The chairpersons must
schedule the first meeting, which must be held by July 1, 2024. The
council must meet at least once every two months, or at other times the
chairpersons or a majority of council members deem necessary and
must allow for public comment at each meeting.
Under the bill, a majority of the membership constitutes a quorum
for meeting to review and assess the draft roadmap or for any vote the
council takes.
Powers and Duties
The bill charges the council with the following:
1. providing direction on the ZEV roadmap’s scope;
2. holding informational meetings to get stakeholder input on the
benefits and impacts of integrating BEVs, FCEVs, PHEVs, and
EREVs into the state’s transportation network;
3. recommending changes to the ZEV roadmap draft and each draft
update; and
4. holding at least one public hearing on the ZEV roadmap draft
and each draft update.
It also authorizes the council to get from any executive department,
board, commission, or other state agency any data or assistance needed 2024HB-05485-R000336-BA.DOCX
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and available to carry out its duties. However, the bill limits the agencies
to doing this within available resources and subject to the limitations of
pending adjudicatory proceedings.
ZEV Roadmap
The bill requires the DEEP and DOT commissioners and PURA
chairperson to develop the ZEV roadmap in coordination with the DAS,
DCP, and DPH commissioners; OPM secretary; and the Consumer
Counsel. It specifies the information, assessments, strategies, and
recommendations for the ZEV roadmap and the process for submitting
the draft and final versions.
ZEV Roadmap Contents. Under the bill, the ZEV roadmap must
analyze the costs and benefits associated with light-, medium-, and
heavy-duty ZEVs, including public health, air quality, and consumer
impacts, and the impact on meeting the state’s emissions reductions
goals. It must include specific information on estimated future EV
adoption and charging needs; cost trends and incentives; charging
station installation and maintenance; and electric transmission,
generation, and distribution. It must also (1) include any other
assessments or information that promote BEV, FCEV, PHEV and EREV
use in the state and (2) address other topics or include other information
the council requests.
Under the bill, the ZEV roadmap must estimate future EV adoption
and charging needs and include the:
1. number of BEVs, FCEVs, PHEVs, and EREVs (1) registered in the
state and (2) estimated to be sold and registered in the state for
the year of the report and over the next 10 years, based in part on
the attainment of the state’s emissions reduction goals; and
2. estimated number and type of charging stations needed to
support the vehicles estimated above in public and private
settings, such as transit facilities and parking facilities at
commercial, industrial, and residential (including multifamily)
properties. 2024HB-05485-R000336-BA.DOCX
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Regarding vehicle costs, trends, and incentives, the roadmap must:
1. identify BEV, FCEV, PHEV and EREV adoption and distribution
trends using information from the CHEAPR program for the
prior year;
2. identify costs trends for new BEVs, FCEVs, PHEVs and EREVs
using the manufacturer’s suggested retail price;
3. identify and evaluate the cost impact of applicable existing and
future state and federal EV incentives and include information
from the prior year on the availability and equitable distribution
of CHEAPER incentives among residents of differing
socioeconomic status; and
4. identify cost trends for new or used internal combustion engine
vehicles as applicable state and federal motor vehicle emission
laws take effect.
The roadmap must also have information, strategies, and
recommendations on charging station installation and maintenance and
the state’s charging network. Specifically, it must:
1. recommend how to help government units or private entities
install EV charging stations and associated infrastructure,
equipment, and technology, including near on-street parking;
2. identify strategies, including non-ratepayer-funded ones, to
ensure that EV charging stations are installed in urban, suburban,
and rural areas, including low- and moderate-income
communities;
3. recommend strategies for ensuring charging stations are
maintained and continuously working; and
4. provide information on the state’s implementation of the
National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program
(including its status and results), which gives funding to states to
strategically deploy EV charging stations and establish 2024HB-05485-R000336-BA.DOCX
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interconnected networks to facilitate data collection, access, and
reliability.
The roadmap must also include various information, assessments,
and summaries on electric transmission, generation, and distribution
and to EDCs’ deployment of EV chargers. Specifically, it must:
1. report on the adequacy of electric transmission and generation
supply and storage infrastructure to serve the EV charging
stations needed to support the roadmap’s estimated number of
EVs;
2. summarize each EDC’s progress toward meeting PURA -
established statewide deployment targets for level 2 and level 3
charging stations (see BACKGROUND);
3. identify the percentage of level 2 and level 3 charging stations
installed in environmental justice communities and housing
authority-owned or -managed housing;
4. describe EDCs’ methodology for tracking how EV charging
infrastructure facilitates the deployment of BEVs, PHEVs,
FCEVs, and EREVs throughout the state;
5. provide aggregated results of EDC-managed charging programs
designed to integrate and optimize EV charging onto the electric
distribution system; and
6. identify the available EV tariff offerings by customer class,
charger type, and service territory.
Lastly, the roadmap must determine the impacts of electrification on
state bus service. It must identify (1) battery electric buses’ purchase and
operating costs, (2) the level of funding needed to deploy electric buses,
(3) the service territory of currently operating electric buses, and (4)
battery electric bus service in low- and moderate-income communities.
Process for Review and Approval. DOT, DEEP, and PURA must
submit the draft of the initial ZEV roadmap to the council by November 2024HB-05485-R000336-BA.DOCX
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15, 2024. The council must then hold at least one public hearing on the
draft after November 15, 2024, but before January 8, 2025. By January 8,
2025, DEEP must submit the final ZEV roadmap, covering all the
information the bill requires, to the Environment, Energy and
Technology, and Transportation committees and publish the roadmap
on its website.
The bill requires DEEP, DOT, and PURA to annually update the draft
roadmap in coordination with the same entities. They must submit the
draft to the council by November 15 of each year and, by the following
January 1, submit the final plan to the legislative committees and DEEP
must post it on the department’s website.
§ 2 — CHEAPR PROGRAM
Program Goal
By law, the CHEAPR program gives rebates and vouchers to
residents, municipalities, businesses, nonprofits, and tribal entities that
buy new or used BEVs, PHEVs, FCEVs. The bill establishes a CHEAPR
program goal to distribute, by January 1, 2030, at least 40% of rebate and
voucher funding to a U.S. Census block group in which 30% or more of
the population has an income below 200% of the federal poverty level.
Vouchers for Environmental Justice Community Residents
Under current law, DEEP must prioritize granting rebates or
vouchers to (1) environmental justice community residents, (2) residents
with incomes up to 300% of the federal poverty level, and (3) residents
participating in state or federal assistance programs (e.g., Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program or Low Income Home Energy Assistance
Program). The bill instead requires DEEP to prioritize environmental
justice community residents that meet the above income or assistance
program participation criteria. So, under the bill, DEEP no longer has to
give priority to (1) environmental justice community residents that do
not meet the income or assistance program requirements or (2) residents
meeting the criteria but living outside environmental justice
communities.
By law, CHEAPR rebate or voucher amounts are set administratively 2024HB-05485-R000336-BA.DOCX
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by DEEP, subject to certain statutory parameters. Current law requires
the rebate or voucher amount for residents of environmental justice
communities be up to 100% more than a standard rebate. The bill
increases the amount to at least 200% greater than the standard amount.
Marketing
Existing law requires DEEP to promote CHEAPR through outreach
programs and a marketing campaign. The bill specifically requires that
the campaign (1) target environmental justice communities, (2) be done
in languages in addition to English, and (3) involve community-based
organizations that serve environmental justice communities.
E-Bikes
By law, CHEAPR has an e-bike component, through which DEEP
offers rebates or vouchers for e-bikes. The bill makes the same
prioritization change for e-bike incentives as it does for EVs, giving
priority for incentives to environmental justice community residents
who meet the income or assistance program participation criteria (e.g.,
income of up to 300% of the federal poverty level, as described above).
The bill also requires DEEP to do marketing and outreach, subject to
requirements under the bill and existing law (e.g., targeting
environmental justice communities), at least 60 days before distributing
any e-bike rebate or voucher.
§ 3 — BONDS FOR EVS AND CHARGING INFRASTRUC TURE
The bill authorizes up to $10 million in general obligation bonds and
requires DEEP to use the proceeds for:
1. grants to municipal electric utilities to install EV charging
infrastructure in environmental justice communities within the
utilities’ service areas,
2. incentives and rebates for EVs and hybrid EVs and to install EV
charging infrastructure, and
3. incentives to install EV charging infrastructure in the public
rights-of-way. 2024HB-05485-R000336-BA.DOCX
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The bonds are subject to standard statutory bond issuance
procedures and repayment requirements.
§ 4 — ELECTRICITY RATES FOR EV CHARGERS
The bill requires EDCs to charge a customer for electricity provided
to certain separately metered level-2 chargers at the same rate they
charge residential customers (see BACKGROUND). The EDCs must do
this for chargers available for residential use and located in either a (1)
multifamily residential building or (2) multi-use building if residential
use makes up at least 50% of the building’s metered energy.
§ 5 — STUDY OF RURAL MOBILITY OPTIONS
The bill requires DOT to (1) study and make recommendations on the
feasibility of expanding mobility options in rural communities and (2)
submit a report with the study’s results to the Transportation
Committee by July 1, 2026. The study and recommendations must
consider the following:
1. operation and maintenance costs, including new or additional
services;
2. currently used vehicles’ size and availability and their
compatibility with rural operations;
3. viability of operating sustained services to rural communities,
including operator availability and maintenance capacity; and
4. best practices from other rural communities in the country.
BACKGROUND
EV Definitions
Under existing law, EVs include the following vehicle types:
1. battery electric vehicle (BEV), which is a vehicle that (a) operates
only by battery or (b) is primarily powered through a battery and
stores energy produced by an electric motor or through
regenerative braking; 2024HB-05485-R000336-BA.DOCX
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2. fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), which is one operated
exclusively by fuel cell;
3. plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), which is capable of
charging a battery used for propulsion from an off-vehicle
source; and
4. extended range electric vehicle (EREV), which is a vehicle (1)
powered predominately by a zero-emission energy storage
device, (2) with a manufacturer rating of more than 75 all-electric
miles, and (3) equipped with a backup power unit that does not
operate until the energy storage is fully depleted (CGS § 16-
19eee).
EV Charging Levels
There are three levels of EV chargers, which use different amounts of
electricity and charge at different speeds:
1. Level 1 chargers use a common residential 120-volt outlet and can
take 40-50 hours or more to charge an EV from empty to 80% and
five to six hours for a PHEV.
2. Level 2 chargers use a 208- or 240-volt circuit and are common in
home, workplace, and public charging. These chargers can
charge an EV from empty to 80% in four to 10 hours and a PHEV
in one to two hours.
3. Level 3 chargers (also called direct current fast charging, or
supercharging) offer rapid charging and are most often used for
public charging. They can charge an EV from empty to 80% in 20
minutes to one hour. Most PHEVs currently on the market do not
work with these chargers.
Environmental Justice Communities
By law, an “environmental justice community” is (a) any U.S. census
block group, as determined by the most recent census, for which at least
30% of the population consists of low-income people who are not
institutionalized and have an income below 200% of the federal poverty 2024HB-05485-R000336-BA.DOCX
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level or (b) a distressed municipality (CGS § 22a-20a).
COMMENT
Dual Job Ban
Connecticut has both a constitutional and statutory ban against
legislators accepting or holding positions or offices in the executive or
judicial branch, in Congress, or with the federal government (Conn.
Const., art. III § 11; CGS § 2-5). Because this bill allows legislators to be
appointed to a council that is explicitly part of the executive branch, the
bill may violate the dual job ban.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Transportation Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 22 Nay 13 (03/20/2024)