The Senate recently approved a measure by State Rep. Deb Eddy, D-Kirkland, to keep Washington moving in the slow but steady build up to an electric-fueled infrastructure.

House Bill 1571 makes clear that Washington’s Utilities and Transportation Commission will not regulate the charging stations that fuel a growing number of electric vehicles. Eddy says the bill was a response to questions about UTC’s appropriate role and concerns that legal ambiguities could leave owners of battery charging stations subject to a tariff.

“This bill represents another small step forward as we try to electrify a portion of the transportation sector,” said Eddy. “We’re entering a new world of alternatively-fueled vehicles. This bill is novel in that it declines an opportunity to regulate, ensuring that these EV alternatives become affordable, feasible options for the average person.”

Eddy has been working for years to spur development of an electric vehicle infrastructure, passing one of the earliest EV bills in 2009 to help launch the process. Transportation-related emissions are the largest source in the state and Eddy says alternative fuel cars, such as those powered by battery, are key to the state’s greenhouse gas reduction efforts.

“Transit is a big part of the solution, but there will always be a need for personal transportation,” says Eddy. “The more we can electrify it, the more we reduce the emissions from it.”

HB 1571 passed both the House and Senate unanimously and now goes to the Governor for approval.