[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 114 (Tuesday, June 14, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35977-35978]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-12755]



[[Page 35977]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy


Electric Vehicle Working Group

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of 
Energy.

ACTION: Notice for solicitation of members.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), 
enacted as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act, the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. 
Department of Transportation are soliciting nominations for candidates 
to fill vacancies on the Electric Vehicle Working Group (Working 
Group).

DATES: Deadline for Working Group member nominations is July 15, 2022.

ADDRESSES: The nominee's name, resume, biography, and any letters of 
support must be submitted via one of the following methods:
    (1) Email to [email protected].
    (2) Overnight delivery service to the Rachael Nealer, Designated 
Federal Official for the Working Group, Office of Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy, Mail Stop EE-3B, 1000 
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachael Nealer, Designated Federal 
Officer, Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, U.S. Department of 
Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585; 202-586-
3916; Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), 
enacted as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Public 
Law 117-58 (Nov. 15, 2021) requires the Secretaries of Energy and 
Transportation to jointly establish an electric vehicle working group 
to make recommendations regarding the development, adoption, and 
integration of light-, medium-, and heavy-duty electric vehicles into 
the transportation and energy systems of the United States. BIL section 
25006 established the Electric Vehicle Working Group and lays forth its 
meetings, coordination, duties, terms, and membership types. Members of 
the Working Group serve without compensation; however, each member may 
be reimbursed for authorized travel and per diem expenses incurred 
while attending Working Group meetings in accordance with Federal 
Travel Regulations. The Working Group must meet at least every 120 
days. Virtual participation is acceptable. The Working Group shall 
coordinate and consult with any existing Federal interagency working 
groups on fleet conversion or other similar matters relating to 
electric vehicles.
    The Working Group advises DOE and DOT points-of-contact with 
respect to the electric vehicle deployment strategy and is required to 
submit a written report to Secretaries of Energy and Transportation, 
the Committees on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and 
Appropriations of the Senate and the Committees on Transportation and 
Infrastructure and Appropriations of the House of Representatives. The 
reports (no fewer than three over the duration of the Working Group) 
will describe the status of electric vehicle adoption including (A) a 
description of the barriers and opportunities to scaling up electric 
vehicle adoption throughout the United States, including 
recommendations for issues relating to (i) consumer behavior; (ii) 
charging infrastructure needs, including standardization and 
cybersecurity; (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 
personal 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 process by which governments 
collect a user fee for the contribution of electric vehicles to funding 
roadway improvements; (xi) State- and local-level policies, incentives, 
and zoning efforts; (xii) the installation of highway corridor signage; 
(xiii) secondary markets and recycling for batteries; (xiv) grid 
capacity and integration; (xv) energy storage; and (xvi) specific 
regional or local issues that may not appear to apply throughout the 
United States, but may hamper nationwide adoption or coordination of 
electric vehicles; (B) examples of successful public and private models 
and demonstration projects that encourage electric vehicle adoption; 
(C) an analysis of current efforts to overcome the barriers described 
in (A); (D) an analysis of the estimated costs and benefits of any 
recommendations of the working group; an (E) any other topics, as 
determined by the working group. Based on the reports submitted by the 
Working Group, the Secretaries of Energy and Transportation will 
jointly develop, maintain, and update a strategy that describes the 
means by which the Federal Government, States, units of local 
government, and industry can--(i) establish quantitative targets for 
transportation electrification; (ii) overcome the barriers to scaling 
up electric vehicle adoption throughout the United States; (iii) 
identify areas of opportunity in research and development to improve 
battery manufacturing, mineral mining, recycling costs, material 
recovery, fire risks, and battery performance for electric vehicles; 
(iv) enhance Federal interagency coordination to promote electric 
vehicle adoption; (v) prepare the workforce for the adoption of 
electric vehicles, including through collaboration with labor unions, 
educational institutions, and relevant manufacturers; (vi) expand 
electric vehicle and charging infrastructure; (vii) expand knowledge of 
the benefits of electric vehicles among the general public; (viii) 
maintain the global competitiveness of the United States in the 
electric vehicle and charging infrastructure markets; (ix) provide 
clarity in regulations to improve national uniformity with respect to 
electric vehicles; and (x) ensure the sustainable integration of 
electric vehicles into the national electric grid.
    The Secretaries of Energy and Transportation (or designees) will 
serve as co-chairs of the Working Group and will appoint no more than 
25 members (not more than 6 Federal and 19 non-federal stakeholders). 
The non-Federal members selected, in the aggregate, will consist of 
individuals with a balance of backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints; 
and include individuals that represent geographically diverse regions 
of the United States, including individuals representing the 
perspectives of rural, urban, and suburban areas. Membership must 
include no less than one representative of: (i) a manufacturer of 
light-duty electric vehicles or the relevant components of light-duty 
electric vehicles; (ii) a manufacturer of medium- and heavy-duty 
vehicles or the relevant components of medium- and heavy-duty electric 
vehicles; (iii) a manufacturer of electric vehicle batteries; (iv) an 
owner, operator, or manufacturer of electric vehicle charging 
equipment; (v) the public utility industry; (vi) a public utility 
regulator or association of public utility regulators; (vii) the 
transportation

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fueling distribution industry; (viii) the energy provider industry; 
(ix) the automotive dealing industry; (x) the for-hire passenger 
transportation industry; (xi) an organization representing units of 
local government; (xii) an organization representing regional 
transportation or planning agencies; (xiii) an organization 
representing State departments of transportation; (xiv) an organization 
representing State departments of energy or State energy planners; (xv) 
the intelligent transportation systems and technologies industry; (xvi) 
labor organizations representing workers in transportation 
manufacturing, construction, or operations; (xvii) the trucking 
industry; (xviii) Tribal governments; and (xix) the property 
development industry; and may include a representative of any other 
non-Federal stakeholder that the Secretaries consider to be appropriate 
(REF: BIL 2022 section 25006). All nominees will be carefully reviewed 
for their expertise, leadership, and relevance to an expertise. The 
Working Group terminates on submission of the third report required by 
the BIL unless renewed by appropriate action prior to its expiration, 
the charter for the Working Group will expire two-years from the date 
it is filed.
    Nominations are solicited from organizations, associations, 
societies, councils, federations, groups, universities, and companies 
that represent a wide variety of electric vehicle expertise. In your 
nomination letter, please indicate the specific membership category of 
interest. Each nominee must submit their resume and biography along 
with any letters of support by the deadline above. All nominees will be 
vetted before selection.
    To ensure that recommendations of the Working Group have considered 
the needs of diverse groups served by the Departments, the Departments 
shall seek opportunities to increase diversity, equity, inclusion, and 
accessibility for the membership of the Working Group. Please note that 
federally registered lobbyists serving in an ``individual capacity'' 
are ineligible for appointment or reappointment.
    Appointments to the Electric Vehicle Working Group will be made by 
the Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of Transportation.

Signing Authority

    This document of the Department of Energy was signed on June 8, 
2022, by Miles Fernandez, Acting, Committee Management Officer, 
pursuant to delegated authority from the Secretary of Energy. That 
document with the original signature and date is maintained by DOE. For 
administrative purposes only, and in compliance with requirements of 
the Office of the Federal Register, the undersigned DOE Federal 
Register Liaison Officer has been authorized to sign and submit the 
document in electronic format for publication, as an official document 
of the Department of Energy. This administrative process in no way 
alters the legal effect of this document upon publication in the 
Federal Register.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on June 9, 2022.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2022-12755 Filed 6-13-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P