Phoenix Business Journal detailed Arizona's efforts to increase spending for electric vehicles, citing AEE's Shelby Stults on EV job growth. Read snippets below and the full story here. 

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, as well as a chorus of Arizona business leaders, called on the federal government to increase spending for electric vehicles, including a boost in tax incentives which would make EVs more affordable.

During a virtual press conference on Tuesday, Gallego specifically noted the Senate’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, which if passed, would mean $550 billion in new federal spending over five years. Arizona would receive billions for all kinds of projects if the bill passes, including $76 million to expand the EV charging network across the state...

During the Tuesday news conference Shelby Stults, a principal at Advanced Energy Economy in Washington, D.C., said the organization had recently completed a study that found more than 2,000 Arizonans currently work in the electrified transportation industry and that the figure would grow with more federal investment.

“(Electrified transportation job) growth nationally is projected to nearly double by 2024. And I think that this could be even higher for Arizona as we're seeing a growing transportation electrification hub really starting to take off here,” Stults said. 

Stults and the panel also called for greater tax incentives so consumers would be incentivized to make the switch from gas vehicles to vehicles that run on alternative energies including hydrogen fuel cells and electric batteries.

Read the full story here.