Electric Vehicle Council

The EV Council is co-led by the Departments of Commerce and Transportation, who are joined by the State Efficiency and Environmental Performance Office, Office of Financial Management, Office of Superintendent for Public Instruction, Utilities and Transportation Commission, and the Departments of Agriculture, Ecology, Enterprise Services, and Health. They are currently developing a statewide transportation electrification strategy.

Charging modern electric cars from station outdoors

EV Council Background

In March 2022, the Washington Legislature passed and Governor Inslee signed the 16-year, $17 billion Move Ahead Washington transportation package, which has six times the amount of funding for climate and clean transportation investments than its 2015 predecessor. The legislation (ESSB 5974) created a new Interagency Electric Vehicle Coordinating Council (EV Council) so state agencies can better collaborate on efforts to accelerate electric vehicle adoption and reduce transportation-sector greenhouse gas emissions. The EV Council relies on its Executive Committee, composed of the Departments of Commerce, Ecology, Enterprise Services, Transportation, and the Utilities and Transportation Commission, to guide the development of agendas and meeting materials for the EV Council. The Advisory Committee also provides an opportunity for engagement in EV Council work.

EV Council Responsibilities

  • Develop a statewide transportation electrification strategy
  • Analyze how to reach the state’s target of 100% electric passenger and light-duty vehicle sales starting in model year 2030
  • Identify and coordinate all state and federal electric vehicle-related funding
  • Engage with local governments, communities, and the Environmental Justice Council to ensure the statewide transportation electrification strategy, grant distribution, programs, and activities associated with advancing transportation electrification benefit vulnerable and overburdened communities

Upcoming Meetings

The EV Council meets on the first Wednesday of each month. Meetings are open to anyone who wishes to observe.

The EV Council Advisory Committee meets on the third Wednesday of every other month.

EV Council Advisory Committee

The EV Council appointed 25 members to the 2023 Advisory Committee (Word) at its Jan. 1, 2023 meeting. Members will serve for one year.

Advisory Committee Responsibilities

  • Help EV Council members, staff and consultants gather information and develop recommendations in the statewide transportation electrification strategy.
  • Provide feedback on draft versions of the statewide transportation electrification strategy during each stage of development.
  • Hear updates and provide feedback on agencies’ programs, rulemakings, and other policy development.
  • Serve as a partner with EV Council staff and consultants on public engagement strategies, and provide support in communicating EV Council efforts to the public.
  • Provide additional feedback and assistance as determined by the Executive Committee or full EV Council

Past Meetings

Meeting materials

  • Approved initial Feb. 15 advisory committee agenda. Meeting may be viewed at the TVW link below.

Meeting materials

  • Reached consensus on the members of the Advisory Committee. Clarified that members are appointed for one year. Public comment may be viewed at the TVW link below.

Meeting materials

Decisions

  • Reached consensus to adopt a decision-making process.
  • Reached consensus to create an Executive Committee.
  • Reached consensus to direct the Departments of Commerce and Transportation to publish a request for Advisory Committee applications, and request the Executive Committee to propose a recommended Advisory Committee membership roster for approval at a future EV Council meeting.
  • Reached consensus to create two issue workgroups: the Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Workgroup and the Electric Vehicle Adoption Workgroup.
  • Reached consensus to direct the Department of Commerce to serve as the lead agency for hiring and managing consultants, begin and complete a hiring process, and provide updates to the EV Council.
  • The EV Council also requested that the Executive Committee work with the Department of Enterprise Services and the State Efficiency and Environmental Performance Office to ensure state agencies without representatives on the EV Council have a voice in the council’s work.

Meeting materials

Washington’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) plan

One of the EV Council’s first responsibilities was directing the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to submit the state’s NEVI plan to the Federal Highway Administration for approval. NEVI is a federal program created in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that will fund electric vehicle charging stations every 50 miles along major highway corridors. Washington’s plan has been approved, and Washington will receive more than $70 million in the next five years.

More information is available on WSDOT’s NEVI webpage.

Quick Links

Contact

You can email comments on the Transportation Electrification Strategy to EVCouncilFeedback@cascadiaconsulting.com

For other questions, you can email EV Council co-chairs: Deborah Reynolds at Deborah.Reynolds@commerce.wa.gov, or Tonia Buell at Buellt@wsdot.wa.gov

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