Recently Updated Rules

This effort was announced in December 2009 and is a nice example of the start of a regional effort to do some comprehensive planning to facilitate the smooth transition to electric vehicles. The initiative is a collaboration between cities, utilities, automakers and others in the Southern California region who will work actively to support and build the necessary infrastructure for the commercial launch of electric vehicles. More

Normal.dotm 0 0 1 683 3895 Institute for Local Self-Reliance 32 7 4783 12.0 Vancouver has established an electric vehicle (EV) charging system requirement for new construction - both single family and multi-family properties.  In October 2009, a new rule requires 20% of the parking spots in new multi-family developments in Vancouver to have charging ports for electric vehicles.
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With respect to charging electric vehicles (EVs), the ideal scenario would result in a maximum amount of renewable energy flowing into the vehicle's battery packs while at the same time utilizing our existing infrastructure (power plants, transmission/distribution lines) as efficiently as possible.   To meet this scenario, the timing of charging up vehicles must be compared to the timing of power plant More

The idea here would be to get a head start on the emerging market penetration of electric vehicles (EVs) and enact legislation that opens a regulatory proceeding covering electric utility related EV issues.  At a minimum, the legislation should require utilities to develop a coordinated infrastructure plan for EVs. Issues included would be: ensuring interoperability of EV equipment, requirements for infrastructure, cost recovery, smart grid integration, time-of-use (TOU) pricing, other rate and billing issues.  The proceeding should also bring to light a clear picture of what power plants will be operating during the likeliest charging periods for EVs. More

To protect its citizens from deceptive advertising, the state of Vermont implemented a law in 2008 that says that labels like "local" and "locally grown" may be applied only to food and other goods that originate in Vermont or within 30 miles of where they are being sold. More

States that want to spur broadband in their state would do well to look at the Virginia Resources Authority. Created in 1984, the VRA helps municipalities and other public entities to secure funding for important infrastructure projects. In 25 years, the VRA has helped create more than $3.1 billion in communities around the state.

In 2009, Joe May of the House of Delegates led an effort to improve broadband access in communities across the state with HB 2665 - creating the Broadband Infrastructure Loan Fund, a revolving loan program modeled on the Virginia Clean Water Revolving Loan Fund.  More

Following the lead of New York and Rhode Island, in August 2009, North Carolina passed a budget that includes a new provision that requires large e-commerce retailers to collect and remit state sales taxes even if they have no physical operation in the state. More