Bill Text: VA HJR131 | 2020 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Electric vehicles; DEQ to study the impact of and develop Clean Transportation Plan, report.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-11 - Left in Rules [HJR131 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2020-HJR131-Introduced.html
WHEREAS, each year, American passenger cars and trucks, through vehicle tailpipe and oil extraction and transport emissions, spew upwards of three trillion tons of carbon pollution into the air by burning about 121 billion gallons of gasoline; and
WHEREAS, fully electric vehicles use electricity to power a battery instead of an internal combustion engine and therefore do not rely on gasoline or require oil changes; and
WHEREAS, in almost in every region of the country, carbon emissions from the electricity sources used to power electric vehicles are lower than the emissions from conventional cars; and
WHEREAS, due to federal, state, and industry rebates and tax credits, decreasing prices in electric vehicle technology, and the cheaper price of electricity in comparison to gasoline, the cost of owning and operating an electric vehicle is now notably lower than that of many conventional vehicles; and
WHEREAS, incentives and initiatives on a state level can help to educate the public about the benefits of electric cars, expand necessary infrastructure and accessibility, and keep electric vehicles affordable for middle-class and low-income individuals; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Department of Environmental Quality be requested to study the impact of electric vehicles and develop a Clean Transportation Plan.
In conducting its study, the Department of Environmental Quality shall (i) review the state of the electric vehicle market in the Commonwealth; (ii) establish objectives for electric vehicle adoption, with the goal of reducing transportation emissions from the 2015 baseline by 26 percent by 2025; (iii) propose strategies to increase electric vehicle adoption.; (iv) provide estimates of the impacts from increased electric vehicle adoption, including savings to consumers and workforce opportunities; (v) estimate the number of electric vehicle charging stations required to support the number of electric vehicles; (vi) propose strategies for expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure; (vii) propose local policy and ordinance changes that would encourage the adoption of electric vehicles; and (viii) consider and develop recommendations on the viability of adopting the Advance Clean Car emission standards, including the Zero-Emission Vehicle mandate.
All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the Department of Environmental Quality for this study, upon request.
The Department of Environmental Quality shall complete its meetings by November 30, 2020, and shall submit to the Governor and the General Assembly an executive summary and a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a House or Senate document. The executive summary and report shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports no later than the first day of the 2021 Regular Session of the General Assembly and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.
