A Republican-sponsored bill would eliminate free public electric vehicle charging stations in North Carolina unless the government is prepared to offer a similar free benefit for owners of diesel and gasoline-fueled vehicles.
“Taxpayers should not be footing the bill for ‘free’ electric vehicle charging stations on state and local government property unless the same locations offer gasoline or diesel fuel at no charge,” Republican state Rep. Ben Moss wrote in a June 2 post on Twitter.
“We need to do more to increase American energy production,” Moss added.
Taxpayers should not be footing the bill for ‘free’ electric vehicle charging stations on state and local government property unless the same locations offer gasoline or diesel fuel at no charge. We need to do more to increase American energy production.https://t.co/LV0ldsZufy
— Rep. Ben Moss (@BenMossNC) July 2, 2022
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The bill has no companion in the Virginia state Senate, according to The Virginia Pilot, and no action is expected on it this year. But that didn’t stop criticism from pouring in on social media, with one Twitter user writing, “Your Big Oil donors are patently obvious now.”
“So, you don’t care about bringing JOBS to NC, you’d rather give your money to the Saudis than AMERICAN-PRODUCED electricity?” another user commented.
“I want to waste tax payer funding to destroy innovative technologies that will reduce dependency on a finite resource and will lead to a decrease in demand for a product I throw tantrums over when I feel it costs too much,” wrote a third.
On May 26, Moss, along with Republican state Reps. Keith Kidwell, Mark Brody, George Cleveland, and Donnie Loftus sponsored the Equitable Free Vehicle Fuel Stations bill.
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According to the draft bill’s provisions, if a business offers free charging stations to consumers, it needs to specify the share each customer of the business has paid toward the electricity provided at the free charging stations.
Additionally, the bill instructs the state Transportation Department and city and county authorities not to use public funds toward setting up free charging stations on publicly owned or leased property.
In an email to The Virginia Pilot, Moss explained his reasoning for sponsoring the bill:
“There is no reason hardworking taxpayers should be subsidizing energy costs for the owners of $100,000+ vehicles,” Moss wrote.
“Until EVs are affordable for working families and made 100 percent in the USA, we need to do more to increase American energy production.”
The legislation also sets aside $50,000 for the state Department of Transportation to eliminate charging stations that do not comply with the legislation’s mandates.
The Biden administration has made increasing electric vehicle use a priority.
In February, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced that the Biden administration has set aside “nearly $5 billion over five years to help states create a network of EV charging stations along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors, particularly along the Interstate Highway System.”
“A century ago, America ushered in the modern automotive era; now America must lead the electric vehicle revolution,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement at the time.
“The President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help us win the EV race by working with states, labor, and the private sector to deploy a historic nationwide charging network that will make EV charging accessible for more Americans.”
