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Committee advances three‑bill EV package: parking math clarified, permitting eased, and a power‑based compliance option adopted
Summary
A three‑bill package on electric‑vehicle infrastructure — A4375 (EV parking rounding), A4530 (administrative permitting for chargers), and A4531 (optional compliance measured by charging power) — was released after extended testimony and questions about local land‑use discretion, transparency and equity.
The Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee released a three‑bill package intended to accelerate electric‑vehicle (EV) charging deployment in New Jersey.
The package includes: A4375, which clarifies that fractional EV parking calculations are rounded up and that those credits cannot reduce required parking by more than 10%; A4530, which creates an administrative permitting pathway for installing EV chargers at existing gasoline stations, retail sites and other buildings; and A4531, an optional compliance pathway that measures infrastructure requirements by total charging power rather than strictly by count of equipped parking spaces.
Anthony Willingham, state government affairs manager at Electrify America, testified in favor of A4530 and A4531. He told the committee that permitting for retrofits often triggers lengthy site‑plan reviews tied to decades‑old approvals and that a predictable administrative permit would speed installations at shopping plazas, grocery anchors and other high‑demand locations. “A4530 makes common‑sense permitting changes to advance applications for charging stations where the space, the location, demand and infrastructure support them,” he said.
Committee members pressed Willingham on how the bills would affect local land‑use discretion and public notice. Some members warned that converting existing approved parking spaces to EV‑only spaces could reduce available parking for non‑EV drivers and remove opportunities for public hearings. Others said the change would simply remove duplicative steps for low‑impact retrofits and reduce costs that currently discourage installations.
Willingham described typical Electrify America fast‑charger stations as having 10–12 dispensers and said the company commonly builds four high‑power chargers per installation at a cost he estimated at roughly $1,000,000 for a NEVI‑compliant site. He also said Electrify America operates about 70 fast chargers in New Jersey; other members referenced broader counts reported elsewhere in the industry.
Lawmakers moved and passed motions to release A4375 and A4530; A4531 was amended technically and released. Recorded committee votes show opposition and abstentions on some permitting questions, reflecting concern about local control. Supporters said the bills provide flexibility — including an option to meet requirements by total charging power that can be met with a mix of fast chargers and level‑2 chargers — and would help address a shortage of fast chargers across the state.
Next steps include consideration on the Assembly floor or referral to subsequent committees as determined by legislative scheduling.
