WASHINGTON—Congresswoman Katie Porter (D-CA) today introduced legislation to remove a roadblock that prevents California from getting its fair share of federal electric vehicle investment under the recent bipartisan infrastructure law.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act devotes federal resources to electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. However, states cannot receive more than 10% of program funding, even though California is home to 12% of Americans and a higher population density that leads to more concentrated air pollution. Today’s legislation from Porter levels the playing field and allows the federal government to send resources to where the need is, without an arbitrary state cap.

“California proudly leads the nation in the transition to electric vehicles, and we are eager to double down on this success,” said Porter, a member of the House Natural Resources Committee. “The bipartisan infrastructure law makes important investments in electric vehicles, but its unnecessary and unfair caps on state funding stop Californians from getting our fair share of these resources. I’m proud to spearhead a bill to correct this error.”

Congresswoman Porter has been a consistent advocate for green energy solutions that grow California’s economy while protecting our environment. Last summer, she hosted Labor Secretary Marty Walsh for a tour of University of California, Irvine’s electric vehicle infrastructure, during which they learned about the innovative hydrogen research taking place at the school’s National Fuel Cell Research Center. Porter held a workshop to provide information to Orange County school districts about federal resources to help transition of school bus fleets to low and zero emission. She has also introduced the Hydrogen for Ports Act and the Hydrogen for Trucking Act, which would help cut down on fossil fuel use in energy-intensive sectors. 

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