Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Infrastructure Deployment Support

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs must facilitate an intergovernmental coordinating council (Council) to develop and implement an EV charging infrastructure deployment plan for the creation of an equitable, interconnected, accessible, and reliable EV charging network. The deployment plan must:

• Comply with state emission reduction requirements;
• Meet existing EV and EV charger deployment benchmarks;
• Facilitate ending the sale of non-zero emission vehicles by December 31, 2035; and,
• Advance the accessibility and affordability of EV chargers.

The deployment plan must also assess:

• The present and future condition of transportation electrification;
• The number and type of EV chargers needed on public and private property;
• Opportunities for EV chargers in urban, suburban, rural, and low- and moderate-income areas;
• The distribution, transmission, and energy storage infrastructure and technology needed to support EV charger deployment;
• Present and future costs of EV charger deployment;
• Technological advancements in EV chargers and related infrastructure;
• Maintenance strategies for EV chargers;
• EV charger installation recommendations and best practices for public and private sector officials; and,
• Policies, laws, and regulatory actions that may facilitate the deployment of chargers and related infrastructure.

The Council must publish the deployment plan by August 11, 2023, revise the plan biannually, biannually and post it publicly. Each assessment shall forecast 10-year EV charging demand and grid impacts, consulting key stakeholders and considering traffic patterns and adoption across vehicle classes. Within 6 months of each assessment, the Council shall identify optimal fast-charging hub and fleet-depot sites along major roads, considering accessibility and safety, consumer/commercial access, cost-effectiveness, land feasibility, funding eligibility, and impacts on environmental justice and low- and moderate-income areas. Within 12 months of each assessment, each electric distribution company must plan distribution upgrades to meet the 10-year demand (including identified sites and grid-upgrade areas), designed for future electrification and consistent with other regulations. Utilities may seek base rate increases to fund these upgrades, with conditions. The Council shall monitor the preparedness and effectiveness of public and private initiatives related to EV charges in Massachusetts, and is responsible for facilitating intergovernmental coordination, implementation of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, and ensuring use of EV charger wayfinding signage.

For more information, see the Second Assessment of the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Coordinating Council website.

(Reference Session Law Chapter 179, Section 81, 2022 and Senate Bill 2967 Sections 102-104, 2024)