New Building Code Improvements for Electric Vehicle Infrastructure are Disappointingly Modest

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Contact:

Deb Pasternak, Massachusetts Sierra Club, (617) 852-2641, deb.pasternak@sierraclub.org

Kevin O’Brien, Massachusetts Sierra Club, (617) 423-5775, kevin.obrien@sierraclub.org

New Building Code Improvements for Electric Vehicle Infrastructure are Disappointingly Modest

Board of Building Regulations and Standards Adopts Weak Proposal for Electric Vehicle Parking in New Commercial Construction

BOSTON, MA --  Yesterday, the Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS) voted to adopt new provisions in the state building code that will require just a single “EV-Ready space” in any new commercial construction with over fifteen parking spaces. “EV-ready” means ensuring that the electrical wiring is set up to accommodate future electric vehicle charging stations.

Sierra Club applauds this small step forward but is disappointed that the Board reduced the requirement so drastically from what was originally proposed, which would have committed to more EV-ready parking spaces for both commercial and residential buildings. Recently, a coalition of utility, real estate, and business leaders, as well as labor, environmental, and consumer advocacy groups, signed a letter to BBRS urging them to adopt a strong EV-ready standard. 47 members of the state legislature sent a similar letter.

In response to the vote, Massachusetts Sierra Club Chapter Director Deb Pasternak issued the following statement:

“The Board took a small good step but overall missed the mark on this one. While the proposal is better than nothing, we need much more bold action investing in electric vehicle charging infrastructure in order to promote widespread EV adoption and address climate change. Seeing as Governor Baker prioritizes climate change and his administration appoints the BBRS, why are board members making decisions that will make the transition to EVs more difficult? The availability of EV-ready parking spaces at our buildings will encourage more Massachusetts businesses to install charging stations and drivers to go electric while reducing consumer costs and conserving energy. We urge the Board to show stronger leadership moving forward.”

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About Sierra Club:

The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.