House Bill 1221 will support the build-out of electric vehicle public charging stations
INDIANAPOLIS, March 3, 2022 – Indiana Advanced Energy Economy (Indiana AEE) celebrates the legislative passage of House Bill 1221, which will support the build-out of electric vehicle public charging infrastructure. The concurrence vote (66-25 in favor) taken this week in the House of Representatives sends the final bill to Governor Holcomb’s desk for his signature. The bill follows on the heels of Gov. Holcomb joining with other Midwest Governors in signing the Regional Electric Vehicle for the Midwest Memorandum of Understanding last fall to advance electric vehicles in the region. “This will level the playing field for businesses interested in offering public charging for electric vehicle drivers,” said Indiana AEE director Caryl Auslander, who testified in support of the bill. “The electric vehicle revolution is coming, and this bill is great news for current and future EV drivers who can expect to see more options for public charging in the coming years. This will also make vehicle charging easier for Indiana business and government fleets that are looking to cut costs with electric vehicles.”
Specifically, HB 1221 will green light utilities and third parties to build, operate, and recover costs for electric vehicle charging stations in Indiana, helping to grow the necessary charging network in Indiana to support the transition to electric vehicles. It also clarifies roles and responsibilities for state agencies and others in deploying EV infrastructure, which is especially critical given the expected $100 million in funding coming soon to Indiana from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
“The private sector will play a critical role in accelerating EV adoption, and with this bill the legislature is eliminating unnecessary red tape for businesses that want to invest in Indiana,” added Auslander.
Roughly 7,600 Hoosiers were employed by the electric transportation industry as of 2019, according to AEE’s Electric Transportation Supply Chain report. A 2021 AEE study on the Economic Impact of Stimulus Investment in Transportation Electrification found that each $1 of public investment in electric transportation infrastructure would generate $2.60 of direct private investment. The market for electric vehicle chargers is expected to reach nearly $11 billion globally by 2025.