New Jersey governor announces state interagency electric vehicle partnership; 330K ZEVs by 2025
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced the New Jersey Partnership to Plug-In, a statewide partnership to build out the necessary infrastructure to support electric vehicle ownership.
The partnership, which will be co-led by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, will create a strategic and streamlined framework to support New Jersey’s electric vehicle ecosystem, with the goal of registering 330,000 Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) by 2025. The New Jersey Partnership to Plug-In will be ratified under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
The New Jersey Partnership to Plug-In ensures that we are working collaboratively across state agencies and with our private sector partners, to not only meet, but exceed our goal of registering 330,000 electric vehicles in New Jersey by 2025. This new initiative is part of our broader effort to make renewable energy solutions work for everyone in New Jersey.
—Governor Murphy
Each agency will have its own direct set of tasks to deploy several critical aspects of electrification such as, mapping of existing and planned charging infrastructure assets; installing electric vehicle charging infrastructure throughout the state; working with lawmakers to establish an electric vehicle rebate program to incentivize adoption of electric vehicles among New Jersey residents; and creating an attractive corporate environment for ZEV-related primary and secondary companies.
Existing initiatives are intended to be enhanced by the partnership’s work. The Department of Environmental Protection recently launched an electric vehicle charging station map and the Board of Public Utilities plans to share a draft of the state’s Energy Master Plan (EMP) in June. The draft EMP will outline ongoing and potential new initiative across state government to achieve 100% clean energy by 2050.
Other agencies, including the Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Commission, and Department of Community Affairs, will contribute to aspects of this partnership, including installing signage, tracking vehicle registrations, and actively partnering with municipalities to apply local planning solutions.
With the transportation sector contributing more than 40 percent of New Jersey’s greenhouse gas emissions, it is critical that we electrify this industry as part of Governor Murphy’s commitment to 100 percent clean energy by 2050. The MOU is a significant step in that direction and the NJBPU is eager to partner with our sister agencies in supporting the growth of Zero Emission Vehicles. In particular, the strategies laid out by the MOU will help inform the Board’s review of the EV filings pending before us.
—New Jersey Board of Public Utilities President Joseph L. Fiordaliso
Additionally, demonstrating its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving urban air quality in environmental justice communities, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection announced its request for approval from the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trustee to disburse an additional $16 million for the deployment of electric heavy-duty garbage trucks, school buses, and port-related vehicles.
This is the DEP’s second round of requests for funding from the state’s $72.2-million share of federal settlements to resolve claims that Volkswagen installed emissions defeat devices in its vehicles to emit air pollutants without being detected by emissions-testing programs across the US.
The New Jersey Partnership to Plug-In will also dedicate $7 million of Volkswagen settlement funds for fast-charging infrastructure technology. Working with private industry to grow this investment, the partnership has already begun to engage the electric vehicle community to combine these funds with private resources to create a multiplier to the state’s investment, while serving consumers of fast-charging technology.
The Partnership will address possible barriers to entering the EV market that exist in the early stages that may make it difficult for the private sector to deploy capital and ensure charging stations are profitable.
Source: greencarcongress
