Evers signs Wisconsin EV infrastructure bill

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed a pair of bills to further electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the state.

The bills create an electric vehicle infrastructure plan through the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and allows private businesses to build EV chargers that sell electricity per kilowatt hour.

The bills allow the state to use $78 million in federal funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as incentives.

Act 121 creates a 3-cent per kilowatt hour state tax on the electricity sales, something The Center Square previously reported WisDOT said could lead to $27,000 annually in taxes while the Department of Revenue said it could bring in up to $930,000 annually.

“WisDOT is ready to activate the federal funding and help industry quickly build fast chargers across the state,” WisDOT Secretary Craig Thompson said in a statement. “Electric vehicle drivers in Wisconsin will soon be able to travel about 85% of our state highway system and never be more than 25 miles away from a charger.”

The bill blocks city, county or state-owned EV chargers from charging less for electricity than the private chargers.

Act 122 creates the EV program and a transportation fund to support EV infrastructure projects without giving any new expenditure authority to the department.

“Expanding EV charging infrastructure is a critical part of our work to ensure Wisconsin is ready to compete and build the future we want for our kids—one that is cleaner, more sustainable, and more efficient,” Evers said in a statement.

Wisconsin’s largest gas stations chain, Kwik Trip, backed the plan.