FLAPOL covered Fla. Governor DeSantis signing SB 7018 that calls for a study of the state’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure, quoting AEE's Dylan Reed. Read excerpts below and the entire FLAPOL piece here.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Tuesday launching a study of the state’s electric vehicle charging grid and preparing staging areas for emergency response along Florida’s turnpike system. That measure (SB 7018) would also add a “shot clock” for utility infrastructure permits, and facilitate utilities to cross rural land while protecting the environment... 

The bill directs the Department of Transportation (FDOT), in consultation with the Division of Emergency Management, to consider several factors when selecting proposed sites for staging areas. Locations must be created in areas to best distribute emergency-related supplies and equipment and provide ease of access to major highways and other transportation facilities. They must also accommodate a significant amount of supplies and provide space for emergency activities that can double as vehicle parking in times without an emergency response...

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Florida has about 16,600 registered electric vehicles, ranking it third in the nation, and 4,713 public and private charging outlets. Meanwhile, California leads the nation with 179,600 vehicles and 28,689 outlets.

Electric vehicles currently make up about 1% of the market, but in a few years, they could be on price parity with traditional cars, said Dylan Reed, director of Advanced Energy Economy. States need to be prepared with charging infrastructure so consumers feel comfortable to buy an electric vehicle, he told Florida Politics upon the bill’s passage.

On Tuesday, Drive Electric Florida lauded the Governor for signing the measure...

Read the entire FLAPOL piece here.