Billions eyed in electric car funds
By James Osborne STAFF WRITER
A woman charges her Nissan Leaf at an eVgo electric charging station. State lawmakers have agreed to billions in funding for additional charging stations.
WASHINGTON — Republican and Democratic senators have agreed to pump billions of dollars in federal funding into building electric vehicle charging stations and other infrastructure needed to make the transition from the internal combustion engine to low and no-emission vehicles.
Under an appropriations bill released by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Monday, the Transportation Department would distribute $3.5 billion over the next five years for projects that reduce carbon emissions from transportation. It would also hand out $1 billion in grants for supporting vehicles powered by electricity, hydrogen or natural gas along designated sections of highway.
“This bipartisan legislation includes the first-ever climate title in a highway bill and would invest $10 billion in policies and innovative projects aimed at reducing emissions and enhancing resilience,” Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., said in astatement.
The bill fits with efforts in Congress to find bipartisan agreement on measures to address climate change. With sweeping legislation unlikely to get very far in the deeply divided Congress, proposals tend to be more modest. In addition to chargers for EVs, they include increasing funding for clean energy research and allowing the sale of tax-free bonds for projects such as long-distance power lines connecting wind farms to cities and carbon pipelines to move carbon dioxide captured emissions to businesses that use it.
The climate change-related funding was arelatively small part of a $287 billion transportation bill, the majority of which will go to repairing the nation’s aged highways and bridges over the next five years. The bill also calls for $4.9 billion in funding to protect roads and highways from natural disasters including hurricanes and wildfires, which scientists believe could increase in quantity as the planet warms.
The committee said it was the largest highway funding bill in history.
“By modernizing our roads and bridges, we can make the roads safer for every family driving on them,” Sen. Tom Barrasso, R-Wyo., said in a statement. “The bill cuts Washington red tape, so road construction can get done faster, better, cheaper, and smarter.”
Republicans and Democrats have been at odds over electric vehicles, which represent a threat to gasoline and diesel demand in the decades ahead as drivers make the switch. Barrasso introduced legislation in October to end tax credits for electric vehicles, saying the program “largely benefits the wealthiest Americans.” james.osborne@chron.com twitter.com/osborneja