King County Council approves requirement for electric vehicle charging in new developments
Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
KING COUNTY, Wash. - The King County Council approved legislation implementing electric vehicle requirements for new developments in unincorporated areas on Tuesday.
The new legislation requires the establishment of electric vehicle parking and charging stations in an effort towards the Council's Strategic Climate Action plan.
This means that new or remodeled apartment buildings must allocate 10% of their parking capacity to electric vehicle charging, and 25% of parking must be EV-ready (infrastructure is in place to install a charger in the future).
"As we continue to face the growing impact of climate change on our day-to-day lives, it's vital that we think creatively and proactively about how to make eco-friendly choices accessible, such as electric vehicles," said Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles.
It is King County's goal to create more charging infrastructure in order to have all light-duty vehicles sold by 2035 be electric. Electric vehicle owners are currently challenged by the lack of accessibility to charging stations according to a report on EV infrastructure by the Local Services Committee.
Transportation electrification is growing rapidly according to King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski, "This legislation is essential to build the infrastructure King County needs to lead the nation in decarbonizing our transportation network. As we are now seeing, our planet can't wait."
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