Richmond Times-Dispatch published a column by AEE's Kim Jemaine discussing the bipartisan passage of legislation in Virginia's Senate maximizing EVs in the state. Read snippets below and the full article here.
Thankfully, the passage of Senate Bull 575 - the so-called fleet optimization bill - proved that smart, fiscally responsible legislation still can get bipartisan support, and point the commonwealth toward a smarter transportation future.
SB 575 helps make sure Virginia doesn’t spend more money on state-owned vehicles than it needs to. The commonwealth maintains a fleet of nearly 4,000 vehicles for its 175-plus state agencies.
Collectively, these vehicles are driven roughly 38 million miles annually by employees doing official state business. They burn a lot of fuel in the process, all at taxpayer expense.
It only makes sense that when the state decides to replace one of these vehicles, it should calculate not only the upfront cost of the car but also all of the costs it will incur while owned by the state, including gasoline burned and anticipated maintenance performed. Over the next few years, as the state’s fleet managers do the math, they likely will find electric vehicles save taxpayers money.
Proposed by state Sen. Monty Mason, D-Williamsburg, in the legislature, and signed by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, the fleet optimization bill received (nearly unanimous) bipartisan support on its way to becoming law. Not only will it save Virginia money — the bill also should serve as a model for how to create legislation in divided times, proving clean energy and fiscal responsibility go hand in hand.
Read the full article here.