The Pennsylvania Senate approved legislation to spur development of transportation infrastructure supporting the new generation of electric vehicles. SB 596 was sponsored by Sen. Bob Mensch (R-24). Mensch said Senate Bill 596, the Pennsylvania Clean Transportation Act, would help shift Pennsylvania’s transportation systems to a cleaner, more efficient resource, and offer a unique opportunity to advance the commonwealth’s energy, environmental and economic development goals.

The Pennsylvania Clean Transportation Infrastructure Act will create a framework for building this infrastructure by combining the expertise of our transportation and public utility sectors.
Features of the legislation include:

– Establishing a state goal of increasing electrification by at least 50 percent over currently forecasted levels by 2030.

– Requiring the development of regional electrification infrastructure frameworks for metropolitan areas. (Limited to the 15 counties in the state that have almost 80 percent of all registered electric vehicles.)

– Directing electric utilities to develop infrastructure implementation plans to support the development of these networks under PA PUC oversight.

– Preventing overbuilding by requiring that all utility plans be based on third-party regional market assessments developed by independent transportation planning experts – not utilities.