Daily Business Review, "Miami-Dade County Proposes Mandatory Pre-Wiring for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations"
January 7, 2019
Doing Business in Florida
As Miami-Dade County’s overall goal of promoting a cleaner, more sustainable environment continues to evolve, plans for adoption of more electric vehicle charging stations throughout the county are progressing. On January 23, 2019, Miami-Dade County Commissioners will consider an ordinance providing minimum requirements for electric vehicle parking spaces and charging stations. Citing the benefits of electric vehicles including improved air quality, reduction of carbon emissions, quieter and more livable streets, and decreased dependency on fossil fuels, as well as a perceived barrier to greater reliance on and use of electric vehicles as inadequate and insufficient charging station infrastructure in the local communities, the proposed ordinance would require the installation of certain infrastructure for electric vehicle charging stations as part of the parking requirements for certain new construction.
Specifically, the proposed ordinance would require all new construction other than single-family, duplex, townhouse, and properties with a current certificate of use and occupancy for church or religious use to contain the following number of parking spaces pre-wired for electric vehicle charging equipment: (a) at least 1 parking space where 9 or less off-street parking spaces are required by the county code, (b) prior to January 1, 2022, 10% of the required parking, but in no event less than 1 parking space, where 10 or more parking spaces are required by the county code, and (c) on or after January 1, 2022, 20% of the required parking, but in no event less than 1 parking space, where 10 or more parking spaces are required by the county code. In addition to the pre-wiring requirements, the proposed ordinance contains provisions regarding required signage for electric vehicle parking spaces as well as penalties for misuse of electric vehicle parking spaces.
While the proposed ordinance requires mandatory pre-wiring of a certain number of parking spaces for new construction, it does not require the installation of the charging equipment. The proposed ordinance does, however, require the county mayor to conduct a study and prepare a report regarding the appropriate number of pre-wired electric vehicle parking spaces by January 1, 2021 and to prepare legislation in the event such study and report support an increase or decrease in the required numbers and percentages set forth in the ordinance.
A copy of the proposed ordinance can be found Here.
For more information, please contact the author Jeffrey Margolis on our Business, Finance &Tax Team.
