Government Energy Policy, Business and Technology

Florida looks to prepare its roads - and budget - for electric vehicles

Energy News Network: Millions of dollars in new funding for electric vehicle infrastructure could soon be available in Florida, where lawmakers and regulators have a full slate of transportation-related legislation, dockets and decisions to make. The North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center recently flagged Florida as one of six states to watch in the first quarter of 2018 for electric vehicle policy. Here are some of the reasons why:

Florida Smart City Challenge Grants Program: A bill (CS/CS/HB 633) sponsored by Rep. Jason Fischer, R-Jacksonville, and Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, would establish a grant fund through the Florida Department of Transportation to fund local innovation related to shared, electric or autonomous vehicles.

“I want Florida to prepare for the future,” Brandes said. “The bill will encourage cities to think bigger as relates to transportation. The world is going through three radical transportation shifts: getting shared, electric and autonomous. We want cities to competitively bid for a basket of funds so they can be laboratories of innovation.”

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