[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 40 (Wednesday, March 6, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1707-S1709]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
By Mr. CARPER:
S. 674. A bill to amend title 23, United States Code, to establish a
grant program for the installation of electric vehicle charging
infrastructure and hydrogen fueling infrastructure along the National
Highway System, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Environment
and Public Works.
Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of
the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, Today I am introducing the ``Clean
Corridors Act of 2019.'' This legislation authorizes $3 billion in
grant funding to public entities for installing electric vehicle
charging infrastructure and hydrogen fueling infrastructure along
designated corridors.
Earlier this week, Chairman Barrasso and I sent a letter to the full
Senate requesting Senators' priorities for a surface transportation
bill reauthorization this Congress. The surface transportation bill is
the primary authorizing legislation for the programs of the Federal
Highway Administration at the U.S. Department of Transportation, among
other programs related to surface transportation.
As the Ranking Member on the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and
Public Works, this legislation is a reauthorization priority of my own.
Nearly two years ago, the Rocky Mountain Institute published a report
that said re-installing electric vehicle charging infrastructure should
be, quote, an ``urgent priority in all states and major municipalities.
Getting it right will require unprecedented cooperation by many
stakeholder groups. The time to act is now.''
I agree. This legislation would provide grants for the installment of
electric vehicle charging infrastructure and hydrogen fueling
infrastructure along the National Highway System. This bill is the
product of remarkable collaboration between stakeholders, and it will
take us one step forward in reducing emissions, improving air quality,
and enhancing energy security and fuel choice. This legislation is
endorsed by stakeholders from across the electric vehicle supply chain,
including the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, Electric
Drive Transportation Association, Edison Electric Institute, Auto
Alliance, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials, and the American Highway Users Alliance.
As I have stated before, the threat of climate change is greater than
any one state, or region or country--we all have to do our part, and
the federal government has a leadership role to play. By deploying
necessary electric and fuel cell vehicle charging infrastructure, and
supporting growth of these needed technologies, doing so will help us
lower the rate of emissions of carbon into our atmosphere.
Even better yet, this legislation will help us in our efforts to put
the United States back in the driver's seat of the world's clean energy
economy, while creating green manufacturing jobs here at home. This
legislation is a true win-win for our environment and our economy, and
it is my hope that the Senate will support this legislation and that it
will be enacted this Congress.
S. 674
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Clean Corridors Act of
2019''.
SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR CHARGING AND FUELING INFRASTRUCTURE TO
MODERNIZE AND RECONNECT AMERICA FOR THE 21ST
CENTURY.
(a) Purpose; Findings.--
(1) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to establish a
grant program to strategically deploy electric vehicle
charging infrastructure and hydrogen fueling infrastructure
along designated alternative fuel corridors that will be
accessible to all drivers of zero emission vehicles.
(2) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(A) greater adoption of zero emission vehicles will help--
(i) reduce emissions and improve air quality;
(ii) enhance the energy security of the United States by
expanding the use of zero emission fuels;
(iii) enhance fuel choice and utilization of electric
vehicle charging infrastructure and hydrogen fueling
infrastructure in order to benefit consumers;
(iv) ensure that the transportation infrastructure of the
United States is equipped to manage the demands and
anticipated future needs of the economy; and
(v) develop a new economic sector in the United States that
will create middle class jobs;
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(B) consumer and business adoption of zero emission
vehicles depends in part on the availability of reliable and
convenient fueling and charging infrastructure;
(C) electric vehicle charging infrastructure and hydrogen
fueling infrastructure must be strategically deployed to
ensure the deployment and adoption of zero emission fuels;
and
(D) infrastructure owners and operators should prepare to
meet the charging and fueling needs of electric vehicles and
hydrogen vehicles.
(b) Grant Program.--Section 151 of title 23, United States
Code, is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ``Not later than 1 year
after the date of enactment of the FAST Act, the Secretary
shall'' and inserting ``The Secretary shall periodically'';
(2) in subsection (b)(2), by inserting ``previously
designated by the Federal Highway Administration or'' before
``designated by'';
(3) in subsection (d)--
(A) by striking ``5 years after the date of establishment
of the corridors under subsection (a), and every 5 years
thereafter,'' and inserting ``180 days after the date of
enactment of the Clean Corridors Act of 2019,''; and
(B) by inserting ``establish a recurring process to
regularly'' before ``update'';
(4) in subsection (e)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) by striking ``establishes an aspirational goal of
achieving'' and inserting ``describes efforts, including
through funds awarded through the grant program under
subsection (f), that will aid efforts to achieve''; and
(ii) by striking ``by the end of fiscal year 2020.'' and
inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(3) summarizes best practices and provides guidance,
developed through consultation with the Secretary of Energy,
for project development of electric vehicle charging
infrastructure and hydrogen fueling infrastructure at the
State, Tribal, and local level to allow for the predictable
deployment of that infrastructure.''; and
(5) by adding at the end the following:
``(f) Grant Program.--
``(1) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after the date
of enactment of the Clean Corridors Act of 2019, the
Secretary shall establish a grant program to award grants to
eligible entities to carry out the activities described in
paragraph (5).
``(2) Eligible entities.--An entity eligible to receive a
grant under this subsection is--
``(A) a State or political subdivision of a State;
``(B) a metropolitan planning organization;
``(C) a unit of local government;
``(D) a special purpose district or public authority with a
transportation function, including a port authority;
``(E) an Indian tribe (as defined in section 4 of the
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25
U.S.C. 5304));
``(F) an authority, agency, or instrumentality of, or an
entity owned by, 1 or more entities described in
subparagraphs (A) through (E); or
``(G) a group of entities described in subparagraphs (A)
through (F).
``(3) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a grant
under this subsection, an eligible entity shall submit to the
Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Secretary shall require,
including a description of how the eligible entity has
considered--
``(A) public accessibility of charging or fueling
infrastructure proposed to be funded with a grant under this
subsection, including--
``(i) charging or fueling connector types and publicly
available information on real-time availability; and
``(ii) payment methods to ensure secure, convenient, fair,
and equal access;
``(B) collaborative engagement with stakeholders (including
automobile manufacturers, utilities, infrastructure
providers, technology providers, zero emission fuel
providers, metropolitan planning organizations, States,
Indian tribes, and units of local governments, fleet owners,
fleet managers, fuel station owners and operators, labor
organizations, infrastructure construction and component
parts suppliers, and multi-State and regional entities)--
``(i) to foster enhanced, coordinated, public-private or
private investment in electric vehicle charging
infrastructure and hydrogen fueling infrastructure;
``(ii) to expand deployment of electric vehicle charging
infrastructure and hydrogen fueling infrastructure;
``(iii) to protect personal privacy and ensure
cybersecurity; and
``(iv) to ensure that a properly trained workforce is
available to construct and install electric vehicle charging
infrastructure and hydrogen fueling infrastructure;
``(C) the location of the station or fueling site, such as
consideration of--
``(i) the availability of onsite amenities for vehicle
operators, such as restrooms or food facilities;
``(ii) access in compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.); and
``(iii) height and fueling capacity requirements for
facilities that charge or refuel large vehicles, such as
semi-trailer trucks;
``(D) infrastructure installation that can be responsive to
technology advancements, such as accommodating autonomous
vehicles and future charging methods; and
``(E) the long-term operation and maintenance of the
electric vehicle charging infrastructure and hydrogen fueling
infrastructure, to avoid stranded assets and protect the
investment of public funds in that infrastructure.
``(4) Considerations.--In selecting eligible entities to
receive a grant under this subsection, the Secretary shall
consider the extent to which the application of the eligible
entity would--
``(A) improve alternative fueling corridor networks by--
``(i) converting corridor-pending corridors to corridor-
ready corridors; or
``(ii) in the case of corridor-ready corridors, providing
redundancy--
``(I) to meet excess demand for charging and fueling
infrastructure; or
``(II) to reduce congestion at existing charging and
fueling infrastructure in high-traffic locations;
``(B) meet current or anticipated market demands for
charging or fueling infrastructure;
``(C) enable or accelerate the construction of charging or
fueling infrastructure that would be unlikely to be completed
without Federal assistance; and
``(D) support a long-term competitive market for electric
vehicle charging and hydrogen fueling infrastructure.
``(5) Use of funds.--
``(A) In general.--An eligible entity receiving a grant
under this subsection shall only use the funds to contract
with a private entity for acquisition and installation of
publicly accessible electric vehicle charging infrastructure
and hydrogen fueling infrastructure that is directly related
to the charging or fueling of a vehicle in accordance with
this paragraph.
``(B) Location of infrastructure.--Any electric vehicle
charging infrastructure or hydrogen fueling infrastructure
acquired and installed with a grant under this subsection
shall be located along an alternative fuel corridor
designated--
``(i) under this section, on the condition that any
affected Indian tribes are consulted before the designation;
or
``(ii) by a State or group of States, such as the Regional
Electric Vehicle West Plan of the States of Arizona,
Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and
Wyoming, on the condition that any affected Indian tribes are
consulted before the designation.
``(C) Operating assistance.--
``(i) In general.--Subject to clauses (ii) and (iii), an
eligible entity that receives a grant under this subsection
may use a portion of the funds to provide to a private entity
operating assistance for the first 5 years of operations
after the installation of electric vehicle charging
infrastructure and hydrogen fueling infrastructure while the
facility transitions to independent system operations.
``(ii) Inclusions.--Operating assistance under this
subparagraph shall be limited to costs allocable to operating
and maintaining the electric vehicle charging infrastructure
and hydrogen fueling infrastructure and service, including
costs associated with labor, marketing, and administrative
costs.
``(iii) Limitation.--Operating assistance under this
subparagraph may not exceed the amount of a contract under
subparagraph (A) to acquire and install publicly accessible
electric vehicle charging infrastructure and hydrogen fueling
infrastructure.
``(D) Signs.--
``(i) In general.--Subject to this paragraph and paragraph
(6)(B), an eligible entity that receives a grant under this
subsection may use a portion of the funds to acquire and
install--
``(I) traffic control devices located in the right-of-way
to provide directional information to electric vehicle
charging infrastructure and hydrogen fueling infrastructure
acquired, installed, or operated with the grant; and
``(II) on-premises signs to provide information about
electric vehicle charging infrastructure and hydrogen fueling
infrastructure acquired, installed, or operated with a grant
under this subsection.
``(ii) Applicability.--Clause (i) shall apply only to an
eligible entity that--
``(I) receives a grant under this subsection; and
``(II) is using that grant for the acquisition and
installation of publicly accessible electric vehicle charging
infrastructure and hydrogen fueling infrastructure.
``(iii) Limitation on amount.--The amount of funds used to
acquire and install traffic control devices and on-premises
signs under clause (i) may not exceed the amount of a
contract under subparagraph (A) to acquire and install
publicly accessible charging or fueling infrastructure.
``(iv) No new authority created.--Nothing in this
subparagraph authorizes an eligible entity that receives a
grant under this subsection to acquire and install traffic
control devices or on-premises signs if the entity is not
otherwise authorized to do so.
``(6) Project requirements.--
``(A) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, any project funded by a grant under this subsection
shall be treated as a project on a Federal-aid highway under
this chapter.
``(B) Signs.--Any traffic control device or on-premises
sign acquired, installed, or operated with a grant under this
subsection shall comply with--
``(i) the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, if
located in the right-of-way; and
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``(ii) other provisions of Federal, State, and local law,
as applicable.
``(7) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost of a
project carried out with a grant under this subsection shall
not exceed 80 percent of the total project cost.
``(8) Funding.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this subsection $300,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2019 through 2028.''.
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