SB 103

Abstract

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming more and more popular. Between 2012 and 2016, EV sales grew at an annual rate of 32%. In 2017, growth in sales reached 45%. Batteries for EVs have become much cheaper in the last 10 years, enabling EVs to compete with traditional, fossil-fueled vehicles. In addition, major vehicle manufacturers are pledging to go all electric. Some researchers are predicting that EV sales will outnumber those of traditional, combustion engine vehicles by 2040. However, only minimal electrical charging infrastructure is available today. This Act is a substitute for Senate Bill No. 103. Like Senate Bill No. 103, this Act will make it easier and more convenient to own an electric vehicle in this State in the years to come, resulting in increased purchases of electric vehicles, promoting cleaner air and water, and resulting in improved health outcomes for Delawareans and a reduction of greenhouse gases to curtail global warming. Also like Senate Bill No. 103, this Act achieves these goals by doing the following: (1) Requiring that newly constructed single-family and multi-family residential dwellings include certain electric vehicle charging infrastructure. (2) Providing county and municipal government enforcement of the electric vehicle charging infrastructure requirements of this Act. Additionally, like Senate Bill No. 103, this Act expires on the date of publication in the Register of Regulations of a notice by the Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control that the Regulations for State Energy Conservation Code, Regulation 2101 of Title 7 of the Delaware Administrative Code, which are adopted under § 7602 of Title 16 of the Delaware Code, have been updated to match or exceed the standards adopted by this Act. This Act differs from Senate Bill No. 103 as follows: (1) Removes language from the definition of “electric vehicle capable parking space” for clarity. (2) Clarifies that “multi-family residential dwelling” includes only boarding houses, hotels, and motels with nontransient occupants. (3) Clarifies that this Act applies to the construction of a multi-family residential dwelling for which an application for final site plan approval is submitted on or after January 1, 2025. (4) Clarifies that if the single-family residential dwelling does not have an attached or detached garage, an electric vehicle capable parking space must be provided in the driveway, assigned parking space for the dwelling, or at an unassigned non-street residential parking space constructed as part of the project.