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State law limited Bozeman's ability to require EV-ready construction; staff retain incentive tools
Summary
City staff told the board that recent state legislation restricted local governments from requiring electric-vehicle (EV) ready or solar-ready construction, though Bozeman retains voluntary and incentive-based tools such as planned-development negotiations to encourage EV and sustainability measures.
Board members asked whether the UDC could require or incentivize electric-vehicle charging infrastructure. City staff said state law constrained mandatory local requirements.
Tom Rogers and Natalie (city staff) said earlier UDC drafts had proposed mandatory EV-ready and solar-ready standards for commercial and multifamily developments, but the Montana legislature enacted limits that prevented local governments from imposing such mandates. Rogers said the city "had to pull back on some of those standards" and that staff testified against the legislative restriction. Natalie said the city instead sought to identify locations for future transformers and conduit on site plans so developments would be easier to retrofit.
Rogers and board members noted incentive-based options remain. The city's planned development zone (PDZ) is an optional, negotiated approval pathway in which developers can offer sustainability improvements in exchange for concessions such as reduced parking or additional height. Rogers described that as an active tool: developers who provide "above and beyond" sustainability measures can receive negotiated benefits in return.
Board members asked staff to continue seeking opportunities to promote EV infrastructure through incentives and voluntary preparedness measures while monitoring state law developments.
