AB 695

This bill requires the Public Service Commission to establish an electric vehicle

charging facility grant program. Under the program, PSC, in consultation with the

Department of Transportation, must designate one or more clean energy corridors

consisting of contiguous state trunk highways that connect Wisconsin to Minnesota,

Michigan, Iowa, and Illinois. Also under the program, PSC must award grants to 1)

businesses, electric utilities, and electric cooperatives for installing publicly

accessible electric vehicle charging facilities along the corridor and 2) business not

along the corridor and multiunit dwellings for installing electric vehicle charging

facilities that are not necessarily accessible by the public. The funding source for the

grants is settlement moneys that the state received from a legal action against

Volkswagen. The bill allows PSC to award up to $10,000,000 in total grants under

the program. At least $5,000,000 must be awarded to applicants under item 1) and

at least $3,000,000 must be awarded to applicants under item 2). No grants may be

awarded after June 30, 2027.

Individual grants for applicants under item 1) may not exceed 75 percent, and

for applicants under item 2) may not exceed 50 percent, of the cost to purchase,

install, and maintain an electric vehicle charging facility. The bill specifies that a

person that is awarded a grant and installs an electric vehicle charging facility may

charge a parking fee to any person who uses the facility. The parking fee may be a

flat fee or be based on the amount of time a user is parked near or connected to the

station or on the amount of electricity used.

Also under the bill, PSC must prepare two reports. For the first, PSC must

describe the locations of the charging facilities installed under the charging facility

grant program and of any gaps of greater than 50 miles in charging facility coverage

along clean energy corridors. This report must be provided to the legislature and

DOT. For the second, PSC must provide potential methods of ensuring an equitable

contribution by electric vehicle drivers, as compared to other drivers of passenger

vehicles, to the funding of highways and local transportation aids. In preparing this

report, PSC must consult with DOT, public utilities, and other stakeholders. PSC

must provide this report to the legislature.