By Southwester Staff
On October 15, the DC Council approved legislation proposed by Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen to expand access to both public and private electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. Should it be signed into law by DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, the bill calls for the District to install 5% of ports relative to the number of registered electric vehicles and provide a clear direction for how to direct federal dollars dedicated to charging infrastructure, while ensuring renters are allowed to install charging stations at home, with reasonable limits.
“Some people hesitate about going electric because of ‘range anxiety,’ or the fear they don’t know when or where they will charge the car. But we need people to go electric – and fast. This bill sends a clear signal that coming soon, there are going to be a lot of chargers available in places where people live, work, and shop,” Allen said in a press release. “This is an infrastructure bill that sets goals and clears red tape to get more chargers installed where people actually want and need them.”
Allen, the Chair of the Committee on Transportation and the Environment, noted that as of 2023, there were around 8,100 electric vehicles registered in the District, but only around 1,057 public charging ports in 317 locations, in addition to 132 private charging ports in 44 locations.
“This is a blueprint for leveraging the once-in-a-generation investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other federal grant opportunities. This legislation will undoubtedly accelerate the District’s transition to our renewable energy future, minimize our impact on the climate, and build a healthier, greener, and more resilient city,” Allen said.
Beginning January 1, 2027, the bill requires all new or substantially improved commercial and multi-unit buildings that have parking lots and garages to include infrastructure that accommodates EV charging stations, and to have a certain percentage of dedicated EV-ready and EV-installed spaces. It creates an Electric Vehicle Charging Incentive Program to incentivize the purchase, installation, and upgrades of EV charging ports, such as a voucher for homeowners to supplement or fully cover the cost of purchasing and installing an EV charging station.
Other provisions in the bill create a permitting requirement for newly built or renovated single-family homes with dedicated off-road parking (i.e., driveway parking spots or garages) to be EV charging-ready with at least electrical capacity to support Level 1 charging – i.e., a standard electric outlet.
For renters, the bill gives condominium unit owners, co-op members, and homeowners who are part of a condo or community association the right to install EV charging ports with reasonable requirements and safety restrictions by condo, co-op, or other common interest boards, as well as giving renters the right to install EV charging ports at their place of residence, with reasonable requirements and safety restrictions able to be imposed by housing providers.
For new or substantially improved gas stations projected to sell more than one million gallons of gasoline per year, Allen’s bill would require the installation of a direct current, fast-charging electric vehicle charging port.