FLAPOL covered Florida's SB7018 which sets up infrastructure planning that paves the way for EVs, quoting AEE's Dylan Reed. Read excerpts below and the entire FLAPOL piece here. 

After a two-month delay during the coronavirus pandemic, a bill creating a study of the state’s electric vehicle charging grid finally hit the Governor’s desk Tuesday. Gov. Ron DeSantis has until June 11 to sign that bill (SB 7018), which would also allow the Department of Transportation (FDOT) to construct staging areas for emergency response, adds a “shot clock” for utility infrastructure permits, and create cases for utilities to cross rural land while protecting the environment.

DeSantis and FDOT have prioritized building up the infrastructure to make way for electric vehicles. The bill, shepherded by Thonotosassa Republican Sen. Tom Lee, would task the department with developing a master plan to place charging stations along the State Highway System. “Electric vehicles can help reduce these emissions, thereby helping to reduce the impact of climate change on this state,” according to the bill’s findings. The department would work with the Public Service Commission and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service’s Office of Energy. The team would report its master plan by July 1, 2021, with a progress report by the end of 2020 that contains preliminary recommendations.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Florida has approximately 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, says 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...

Read the entire FLAPOL piece here.