Plain English Breakdown
The bill text contains conflicting dates (2027 and 2028) crossed out or amended; the summary uses 2028 as it appears to be the final version in the provided text.
Emergency Fuel and Charging Station Assessment
This law requires state agencies to study how emergencies affect fuel and electric vehicle charging access, identify critical sites that must stay open, and create rules for operators to keep them running.
What This Bill Does
- Requires the Office of Emergency Services to submit an assessment by July 1, 2028, on emergency types where limited access to fuel or transportation resources impacts public health and safety.
- Directs agencies to identify direct-current fast-charging station sites that are important to maintain during each type of emergency based on specified factors.
- Asks the Office of Emergency Services to recommend how long energy should be maintained during emergencies and what requirements operators must follow to ensure these stations work.
- Requires identified charging station operators to submit an emergency management plan by January 1, 2028, and every year after that.
- Mandates that electrical corporations consider electric vehicle charging stations in their annual reports and disaster preparedness plans filed with the Public Utilities Commission.
Who It Names or Affects
- The Office of Emergency Services
- Operators of direct-current fast-charging station sites identified by state agencies
- Electrical corporations regulated by the Public Utilities Commission
Terms To Know
- Direct-current (DC) fast-charging station
- A location that provides high-speed electricity to charge electric vehicles quickly.
- State-mandated local program
- A rule created by the state government that requires specific actions, which may involve costs for agencies or businesses without reimbursement from the state.
Limits and Unknowns
- The bill does not list the exact factors used to decide which charging stations are critical.
- The final recommendations on how long energy should be maintained during emergencies have not been written yet and depend on future studies.
- The law states that no state reimbursement is required for costs, but it only mentions a 'specified reason' without detailing exactly what those costs might include.