LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS

(a) The legislature finds that it is in the best interests of this state to continue the long-standing policy of supporting private sector investment in infrastructure by establishing a framework designed to encourage competitive private sector investment in the deployment of public electric vehicle charging stations. (b) The legislature finds that encouraging investment in the deployment of public electric vehicle charging stations is essential to foster the rapid installation and widespread use of public electric vehicle charging stations on property whose owners or tenants desire to install public electric vehicle charging stations. (c) The legislature finds that electric utilities, transmission and distribution utilities, competitive entities, and the commission have important roles to fill in supporting the installation and use of infrastructure for electric vehicle charging. (d) The legislature finds that it is necessary to: (1) implement competitively neutral policies to encourage competitive private sector investment in public electric vehicle charging station deployment; (2) develop and implement competitively neutral electricity tariffs that are optimized for public electric vehicle charging stations and based on cost causation principles while ensuring transparency in pricing and recognizing changing market needs; and (3) encourage competitive private investment, ownership, and operation of public electric vehicle charging stations, including equipment that allows for fast charging.