[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 3, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1411-S1413]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 1425. Ms. CORTEZ MASTO submitted an amendment intended to be
proposed by her to the bill S. 2657, to support innovation in advanced
geothermal research and development, and for other purposes; which was
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
SEC. ____. ELECTRIC VEHICLE WORKING GROUP.
(a) Establishment of Working Group.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 240 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation and
the Secretary of Energy (referred to in this section as the
``Secretaries'') shall jointly establish a working group
(referred to in this section as the ``working group'') to
make recommendations on the development, adoption, and
integration of light and heavy duty electric vehicles into
the transportation and energy systems of the United States.
(2) Membership.--
(A) In general.--The working group shall be composed of--
(i) the Secretaries (or designees), who shall be co-chairs
of the working group; and
(ii) not more than 25 members to be appointed by the
Secretaries, of whom--
(I) not more than 6 shall be Federal stakeholders as
described in subparagraph (B); and
(II) not more than 19 shall be non-Federal stakeholders as
described in subparagraph (C).
(B) Federal stakeholders.--The working group--
(i) shall include not less than 1 representative of each
of--
(I) the Department of Transportation;
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(II) the Department of Energy;
(III) the Environmental Protection Agency;
(IV) the Council on Environmental Quality; and
(V) the General Services Administration; and
(ii) may include a representative of any other Federal
agency the Secretaries consider to be appropriate.
(C) Non-federal stakeholders.--The working group--
(i) shall include not less than 1 representative of each
of--
(I) a manufacturer of electric vehicles or the relevant
components of electric vehicles;
(II) an owner, operator, or manufacturer of electric
vehicle charging equipment;
(III) the public utility industry;
(IV) a public utility regulator or association of public
utility regulators;
(V) the transportation fueling distribution industry;
(VI) the energy provider industry;
(VII) the automotive dealing industry;
(VIII) the passenger transportation industry;
(IX) an organization representing a unit of local
government;
(X) a regional transportation or planning agency;
(XI) an organization representing State departments of
transportation;
(XII) an organization representing State departments of
energy or State energy planners;
(XIII) an expert in intelligent transportation systems and
technologies;
(XIV) organized labor;
(XV) the trucking industry;
(XVI) Tribal governments; and
(XVII) the property development industry; and
(ii) may include a representative of any other non-Federal
stakeholder that the Secretaries consider to be appropriate.
(3) Meetings.--
(A) In general.--The working group shall meet not less
frequently than once every 120 days.
(B) Remote participation.--A member of the working group
may participate in a meeting of the working group via
teleconference or similar means.
(4) Coordination.--In carrying out the duties of the
working group, the working group shall coordinate and consult
with any existing Federal interagency working groups on fleet
conversion or other similar matters related to electric
vehicles.
(b) Joint Report and Strategy on Electric Vehicle Adoption,
Opportunities, and Challenges.--
(1) In general.--The Secretaries, in consultation with the
working group, shall submit to Congress by each of the
deadlines described in paragraph (2)--
(A) a report on the status of electric vehicle adoption and
opportunities for and challenges to expanding adoption of
electric vehicles, including--
(i) a description of the barriers and opportunities to
scaling up electric vehicle adoption nationwide, with
recommendations for issues relating to--
(I) consumer behavior;
(II) charging infrastructure needs, including
standardization;
(III) manufacturing and battery costs, including the raw
material shortages for batteries and electric motor magnets;
(IV) the adoption of electric vehicles for low- and
moderate-income individuals and underserved communities,
including charging infrastructure access and vehicle purchase
financing;
(V) business models for charging electric vehicles outside
the home, including wired and wireless charging;
(VI) charging infrastructure permitting and regulatory
issues;
(VII) the connections between housing and transportation
costs and emissions;
(VIII) freight transportation, including local, port and
drayage, regional, and long-haul trucking;
(IX) intercity passenger travel;
(X) the need or potential for model building codes for
charging infrastructure;
(XI) the process by which governments collect a user fee
for the contribution of electric vehicles to funding roadway
improvements and potential investments in charging
infrastructure;
(XII) State and local level policies, incentives, and
zoning efforts;
(XIII) the installation of highway corridor signage;
(XIV) cybersecurity of charging infrastructure;
(XV) secondary markets and recycling for batteries;
(XVI) grid integration;
(XVII) energy storage; and
(XVIII) specific regional or local issues that--
(aa) are associated with--
(AA) the issues described in subclauses (I) through (XVII);
or
(BB) urban or rural environments; and
(bb) may not appear nationwide, but hamper a nationwide
adoption or coordination of electric vehicles;
(ii) examples of successful public and private models and
demonstration projects that encourage electric vehicle
adoption; and
(iii) an analysis of current efforts to overcome the
barriers described in clause (i); and
(B) a strategy that describes how the Federal Government,
States, units of local government, and industry can--
(i) set quantitative targets for transportation
electrification;
(ii) overcome the barriers described in subparagraph
(A)(i);
(iii) identify areas of opportunity in research and
development to improve battery manufacturing, mineral mining,
recycling costs, material recovery, and battery performance
for electric vehicles;
(iv) enhance Federal interagency coordination to promote
electric vehicle adoption;
(v) promote electric vehicle knowledge and expertise within
State and local governments;
(vi) prepare the workforce for the adoption of electric
vehicles, including through collaboration with labor unions,
colleges and other educational institutions, and relevant
manufacturers;
(vii) expand electric vehicle and charging infrastructure--
(I) knowledge and use among Federal, State, and local
governments, school districts, and private entities; and
(II) adoption among the fleets of the entities described in
subclause (I);
(viii) expand knowledge of the benefits of electric
vehicles among the general public;
(ix) maintain the global competitiveness of the United
States in the electric vehicle and charging infrastructure
markets;
(x) provide clarity in regulations to improve national
uniformity with respect to electric vehicles; and
(xi) ensure the sustainable integration of electric
vehicles into the national electric grid.
(2) Deadlines.--A joint report and strategy under paragraph
(1) shall be submitted by--
(A) for the first report, not later than 18 months after
the date on which the working group is established under
subsection (a)(1);
(B) for the second report, not later than 2 years after the
date on which the first report is required to be submitted
under subparagraph (A); and
(C) for the third report, not later than 2 years after the
date on which the second report is required to be submitted
under subparagraph (B).
(3) Information.--
(A) In general.--The Secretaries may enter into an
agreement with the Transportation Research Board of the
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to
provide, track, or report data, information, or research to
assist the Secretaries in carrying out paragraph (1).
(B) Use of existing information.--In developing the report
and strategy under paragraph (1), the Secretaries and the
working group shall consider existing Federal, State, local,
private sector, and academic data and information relating to
electric vehicles and, to the maximum extent practicable,
coordinate with the entities that publish that information--
(i) to prevent duplication of efforts by the Federal
Government; and
(ii) to leverage existing information and complementary
efforts.
(c) Electric Vehicle Resource Guide.--
(1) In general.--The Secretaries shall electronically
publish and update a resource guide to provide information to
increase knowledge about electric vehicles and necessary
charging infrastructure for consumers, State, local, and
Tribal governments (including transit agencies or
authorities, public tolling authorities, metropolitan
planning organizations, public utility commissions, and
public service companies), and businesses that sell motor
vehicles.
(2) Inclusions.--A resource guide under paragraph (1) shall
include--
(A) information on--
(i) the general characteristics of electric vehicles
(including passenger vehicles, electric vehicles for public
transportation, school buses, and electric vehicles for
commercial use); and
(ii) the types of charging solutions available to
consumers, including, to the maximum extent practicable, a
digitally accessible compilation of existing mapping of
publicly available charging stations in the United States;
(B) information on electrifying business and government
vehicle fleets;
(C) information on Federal grant programs available to
State and local governments for the purchase of electric
vehicles for public transportation;
(D) a description of current financial and nonfinancial
incentives for electric vehicles; and
(E) any other information that--
(i) a representative of industry or State or local
government requests to be included; and
(ii) the working group recommends and determines to be
appropriate.
(3) Use of existing guides.--In publishing and maintaining
the resource guide under paragraph (1), the Secretaries and
the working group shall consider existing Federal, State,
local, private sector, and academic guides relating to
electric vehicles and, to the maximum extent practicable,
coordinate with the entities publishing those guides--
(A) to prevent duplication of efforts by the Federal
Government; and
(B) to leverage existing information and complementary
efforts.
(4) Resource guide outreach.--The Secretaries, in
consultation with the working group, shall conduct outreach
to consumers, State, local, and Tribal governments (including
transit agencies or authorities, public tolling authorities,
metropolitan planning
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organizations, public utility commissions, and public service
companies), and businesses that sell motor vehicles through
the websites of the Department of Transportation and the
Department of Energy, social media, and other methods--
(A) to provide the resource guide under paragraph (1) to
interested stakeholders, including relevant consumer groups
and transportation-related organizations;
(B) to promote the use of electric vehicles in both
government and industry fleets; and
(C) to educate individuals involved in the sale of motor
vehicles about the benefits of electric vehicles.
(5) Subsequent resource guides.--Not less frequently than
every 2 years for the duration of the working group, the
working group shall publish an update to the resource guide
under paragraph (1), as appropriate based on technological
innovation and subsequent information.
(6) Accessibility.--The Secretaries shall each maintain the
resource guide under paragraph (1) on a designated website,
which may be an existing website, of each Secretary relating
to electric vehicles.
(d) Coordination.--To the maximum extent practicable, the
Secretaries and the working group shall carry out this
section using all available existing resources, websites, and
databases of Federal agencies, such as the Alternative Fuels
Data Center, the Energy Efficient Mobility Systems program,
and the Clean Cities Coalition Network.
(e) Funding.--The Secretaries shall carry out this section
using existing funds made available to the Secretaries and
not otherwise obligated, of which--
(1) 50 percent shall be from funds made available to the
Secretary of Transportation; and
(2) 50 percent shall be from funds made available to the
Secretary of Energy.
(f) Termination.--The working group shall terminate on the
date on which the third report under subsection (b) is
submitted.
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