MUCH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WOR K.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
>> THE STATE SENATE PASSED TWO BILLS THIS WEEK DESIGNED TO
JUMP-START THE CONSTRUCTION OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING
STATIONS ACROSS THE STATE BY TAPPING INTO NEARLY $80 MILLION
IN FEDERAL FUNDS. THE MEASURES NOW GO TO THE
ASSEMBLY. A CHANGE IN LAW IS REQUIRED TO
ALLOW GAS STATION LIKE KWIK TRIP OR OTHER BUSINESSES TO CHARGE
THREE CENTS PER KILOWATT HOUR TO CHARGE UP BECAUSE CURRENT LAW
ONLY ALLOWS PUBLIC UTILITIES TO CHARGE FOR ELECTRICITY.
ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS ADVOCATE FOR MORE E.V. CHARGING STATIONS.
WE GET CLEAN WISCONSIN'S TAKE ON A POTENTIAL LAW CHANGE CLEARING
THE WAY WITH CHELSEA CHANDLER. THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. >> SO WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO
THESE BILLS THAT PASSED IN THE SENATE AND ARE ON THEIR WAY TO
THE ASSEMBLY. >> THESE BILLS ARE REALLY
IMPORTANT FOR UNLOCKING $78 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING MADE
POSSIBLE BY THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION'S INFRASTRUCTURE
ELECTRIC VEHICLE INFRASTRUCTURE
PROGRAM. BUT THERE ARE A COUP LE OF
REQUIREMENTS IN THAT PROGRAM THAT WISCONSIN STATE LAW IS NOT
MEETING RIGHT NOW. SO WHAT THESE BILLS DO, THEY'RE
GOING TO BRING US INTO ALIGNMENT WITH THOSE REQUIREMENTS SO WE
CAN ACCESS THOSE CRITICAL FUNDS AND BRING MORE ELECTRIC VEHICLE
CHARGING INTO THE STATE. FUNDAMENTALLY, THE ISSUE IS
ABOUT HOW PEOPLE PAY TO CHARGE THEIR VEHICLES IN WISCONSIN.
RIGHT NOW, WISCONSIN IS ONE OF ONLY TWO STATES IN THE COUNTRY
THAT IS HAVING PEOPLE PAID BY THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THEY'RE
CHARGING THEIR VEHICLES INSTEAD OF THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY THAT
THEY'RE USING IN KILOWATT HOURS. SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT FUNNY,
REALLY. IF YOU'RE CHARGING YOUR GAS CAR
AT THE PUMP, YOU WOULDN'T PAY FOR THE AMOUNT OF TIME YOU'RE
SITTING THERE. YOU'D EXPECT TO PAY FOR THE
NUMBER OF GALLONS THAT YOU'RE PUTTING INTO YOUR VEHICLE.
SO THIS IS THE SAME THING. IT WOULD KIND OF MAKE IT MORE
FAIR, SO THAT IF THE PUMP IS SLOWER OR YOUR ELECTRIC VEHICLE
IS CHARGING A LITTLE SLOWER, YOU'RE STILL PAYING FOR THE
AMOUNT OF ENERGY THAT YOU'RE USING. AND THE REASON WE HAVE
IT SET UP THAT WAY RIGHT NOW IS IT'S KIND
OF A WORK-AROUND BECAUSE, AS YOU SAID RIGHT NOW, WISCONSIN SEES
ANYONE WHO IS PROVIDING ELECTRICITY AS BEING AN ELECTRIC
UTILITY AND THAT'S REALLY NOT THE INTENT HERE.
THE INTENT IS JUST FOR A COMPANY TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A SERVICE
TO CAR OWNERS WHO WANT TO POWER THEIR VEHICLES.
>> HOW SORELY ARE THESE CHARGING STATIONS NEEDED AROUND
WISCONSIN? >> WE REALLY NEED MORE ELECTRIC
VEHICLE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE. I THINK THAT'S THE BIGGEST
BARRIER TO HAVING MORE WIDESPREAD ADOPTION OF ELECTRIC
CARS IN WISCONSIN. PEOPLE NEED TO BE ABLE TO TRAVEL
AND COMMUTE WITH CONFIDENCE THAT THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, REPOWER
THEIR VEHICLE AS EASILY IDEALLY AS YOU CAN FILL IT UP AT A PUMP
AND WE REALLY NEED MORE ELECTRIC CARS IN WISCONSIN FOR A FEW
REASONS. REALLY, BECAUSE THERE'S BENEFITS
TO THE CLIMATE, THERE'S BENEFITS WHEN IT COMES TO AIR POLLUTION
AND DISPLACING SOME OF THOSE EMISSIONS OUT OF THE TAILPIPE
AND THEN THERE'S REALLY A LOT OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVING
MORE ELECTRIC CARS IN WISCONSIN COULD UNLOCK.
I KNOW COINCIDENTALLY TODAY, U.S. ENERGY SECRETARY GRANT HOLM
AND ACTING LABOR SECRETARY WERE VISITING WISCONSIN TO TALK ALL
ABOUT ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE, KIND OF MADE IN
AMERICA OPPORTUNITIES FOR WISCONSIN, AND SO BASICALLY THAT
IS AN OPPORTUNITY WISCONSIN COMPANIES BASED IN MILWAUKEE,
THEY'RE EXPANDING THEIR PRODUCTION OF E.V. CHARGERS, SO
THEY SEE THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY. AND THEN THERE'S THE PLACES THAT
WILL BE HOSTING THE E.V. CHARGING PLACES LIKE KWIK TRIP
WHO WERE VERY ACTIVE AND SUPPORTIVE THROUGHOUT THE PR
OCESS OF ADVANTAGES THESE BILLS BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE
ABLE TO OFFER SERVICES TO MORE CUSTOMERS WHO CAN COME CHARGE
THEIR VEHICLES AND THEN STOP AND GET A CUP OF COFFEE OR A BITE TO
EAT. >> I WAS GOING TO ASK AB OUT THAT
IDEA THAT BUSINESSES LIKE KWIK TRIP ARE IN FAVOR, BECAUSE YOU'D
THINK THAT E.V. CHARGERS MIGHT COMPLETE WITH THEIR GASOLINE
SALES. >> I THINK THESE IT AS PART OF
THE FUTURE. IT'S A MORE DIVERSE PORTFOLIO SO
MORE PEOPLE ARE SWITCHING TO ELECTRIC CARS SO MIGHT AS WELL
BE A PART OF THAT. THEY CAN MAKE MONEY BY PEOPLE
COMING INTO THE STORE AND IS GETTING SOME FOOD.
THAT'S WHAT I DO WHEN I'M CHARGING MY CAR.
IT'S NICE TO HAVE SOME FOR THE KIDS TO GET A BITE TO EAT, USE
THE BATHROOM, AND BE ON MY WAY. >> IS THE GOAL TO HAVE THESE
CHARGING STATIONS EVERY 50 MILES, AS IS FEDERAL GUIDANCE,
AND IF SO, HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE FOR WISCONSIN TO GET THERE?
>> SO THERE'S BEEN PRETTY ELABORATE PLANNING PROCESS TO
COMPLY WITH THIS NATIONAL VEHICLE INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM.
WATCHING HAS WISCONSIN INFRASTRUCTURE VEHICLE PLAN THAT
WAS-APPROVED IN 2022, AND SO THEY LOOKED AT ALL OF THE MAJOR
CORRIDORS MAKING SURE THAT THEY GET THAT COVERAGE AT LEAST EVERY
50 MILES SO WE CAN MAKE IT CONVENIENT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE
TRAVELING ACROSS THE STATE AND OF THAT CONFIDENCE THAT THEY CAN
RECHARGE. SO THE BILLS HAVE PASSED THE
SENATE THIS WEEK. THE NEXT TO STEP IS TO PASS THE
ASSEMBLY AND THEN THE GOVERNMENT COULD SIGN INTO LAW AND THEN THE
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ALREADY HAS A REQUEST FOR
PROPOSALS OUT FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BUILD THESE CHARGING
STATIONS. SO THAT IS OPEN UNTIL APRIL
1st. SO BASICALLY, AS LONG AS WE CAN
GET THESE BILLS PASSED AND KIND OF MAKE SURE WE'RE ADHERING TO
THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS, WE COULD, AS I UNDERSTAND, HAVE
MONEY OUT THE DOOR STARTING IN MONEY OUT THE DOOR STARTING IN