Florida Senate - 2021 SM 1332
By Senator Brandes
24-01303-21 20211332__
1 Senate Memorial
2 A memorial to the Congress of the United States,
3 urging Congress to authorize installation of electric
4 vehicle charging stations in rest areas on the
5 interstate highway system and to allow charging
6 station providers to charge a fee for public use of
7 charging stations installed in such rest areas.
8
9 WHEREAS, the transportation sector accounts for
10 approximately 30 percent of the total energy needs of the United
11 States and 70 percent of United States petroleum consumption,
12 but the United States imported only about 3 percent of the
13 petroleum consumed in 2019, and
14 WHEREAS, increasing the use of more energy-efficient
15 vehicles, such as electric vehicles, continues a trend toward
16 minimizing petroleum imports, supports the United States
17 economy, and helps diversify the nation’s transportation fleet,
18 and
19 WHEREAS, using electricity for transportation purposes
20 contributes to a more secure, domestically generated energy
21 source for the public’s mobility needs and adds to the nation’s
22 energy security, and
23 WHEREAS, electric vehicles typically achieve greater fuel
24 economy and have lower or no traditional fuel costs when
25 compared to similar conventional vehicles, and
26 WHEREAS, electric vehicles can have significant benefits
27 over conventional vehicles in the form of lower emissions,
28 thereby reducing greenhouse gases and lessening the extent of
29 sea-level rise, and
30 WHEREAS, the impact of measurable sea-level rise is
31 particularly threatening for coastal states such as Florida,
32 which has more than 8,000 miles of low-elevation coastline when
33 accounting for bays, inlets, and waterways, and
34 WHEREAS, 75 percent of Florida’s population lives in
35 coastal areas that generate a significant portion of the state’s
36 economic output, and
37 WHEREAS, the impacts of measurable sea-level rise are
38 exacerbated in Florida and other coastal states by increasingly
39 intense hurricanes experienced by their residents, and
40 WHEREAS, emergency evacuation prompted by hurricanes and
41 other disasters is critical to the safety of all travelers on
42 Florida’s roadways, and
43 WHEREAS, increased adoption of electric vehicle use in
44 Florida and nationwide can facilitate energy diversity and
45 efficiency, reduce greenhouse emissions and the impacts of sea
46 level rise, and lead to more efficient evacuation for hurricanes
47 and other emergencies, and
48 WHEREAS, while projections vary for electric vehicle sales
49 in the nation and in Florida, a consensus exists that the market
50 share for electric vehicles is growing and will continue to
51 grow, and
52 WHEREAS, a number of barriers to electric vehicle adoption
53 exist, including their cost versus that of traditional vehicles,
54 range anxiety during longer trips, and gaps in electric vehicle
55 charging access, at least in part because service providers
56 locate charging stations where electric vehicle adoption is
57 highest, and
58 WHEREAS, advancements in electric vehicle-related
59 technology are continuing, electric vehicle manufacturing is
60 rising, and electric vehicle prices are dropping, and these
61 trends should facilitate expansion of electric vehicle use
62 nationwide, and
63 WHEREAS, despite these trends, according to the Federal
64 Highway Administration, the successful adoption of electric
65 vehicle use is heavily dependent upon the accessibility of
66 charging stations, and
67 WHEREAS, the gaps in electric vehicle charging station
68 availability hinder the public’s further adoption of electric
69 vehicles across the nation and in Florida, and
70 WHEREAS, the installation of electric vehicle charging
71 stations at rest areas along the interstate highway system would
72 facilitate more use of electric vehicles, NOW, THEREFORE,
73
74 Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
75
76 That the Florida Legislature, with all due respect, does
77 hereby urge the Congress of the United States to authorize the
78 installation of electric vehicle charging stations at rest areas
79 along the interstate highway system and to authorize the service
80 providers of such stations to charge a fee for use of the
81 charging stations.
82 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State dispatch
83 copies of this memorial to the President of the United States,
84 to the President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of
85 the United States House of Representatives, and to each member
86 of the Florida delegation to the United States Congress.