Maryland Office of the People`s Counsel

The council convened to review a draft legislative positions letter prepared by the Legislative Working Group. Discussions focused on the council's position on various bills, including legislation regarding electric vehicle recharging equipment in condominiums and HOAs, transportation and climate alignment, and the extension of the council's reporting mandate and sunset date. Members voted on whether to submit letters of support to the Maryland General Assembly for these legislative initiatives.

The council meeting addressed several key topics including public concerns regarding EV charging infrastructure reliability, the Maryland Department of Agriculture's EVSE port registration fees, and the introduction of the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Plan (ZEVIP). The council reviewed the 2026 legislative session, specifically focusing on the role of the Legislative Working Group and the impact of passed legislation on the EV landscape. Additionally, the meeting covered updates regarding House Bill 451, which relates to the council's structure and directives, and concluded with updates from state agencies on recent initiatives and global market insights for electric vehicles.

The council convened to review and adopt the Legislative Working Group's recommended positions on various legislative bills related to energy infrastructure, electric vehicle charging, and school bus electrification. The discussions focused on bills concerning the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund, registration fees for charging equipment, highway use fees for electric vehicles, and restrictions on energy sources for consumer goods. The council formally voted to support or oppose these measures as part of their legislative positions letter.

The meeting focused on key discussions, including welcoming new members and contextualizing recent developments in the EV landscape. Public comments addressed concerns regarding the unreliability of statewide charging infrastructure, issues with out-of-service chargers, consumer recourse for faulty chargers, and impacts of the new EVSE registration program on service delivery. A major topic was the future of ZEEVIC, specifically discussing House bill HB 0451 regarding the extension of the council's sunset date past June 30, 2026, which received stakeholder support for continuation and collaboration. Updates were provided by the Maryland Department of Agriculture on the revised EVSE registration program, including fee determination and enforcement processes. The Maryland Department of the Environment reported on the final report preparation for the ACC II/ACT Workgroup and discussed the MDE's Advanced Clean Trucks Act Needs Assessment and Deployment Plan. Finally, updates were given on NEVI program status and other state agency initiatives.

The meeting agenda focused heavily on electric vehicle initiatives. Key discussions included the future direction of ZEEVIC, an update on the MDA EVSE Registration and Certification Program, and a report from the Maryland ACC-II/ACT Workgroup. Specific attention was given to the Maryland Zero Emission Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Council (ZEEVIC) sunset extension proposal (HB 0451). The MDA presented details on the EVSE registration fee structure, inspection standards based on NIST Handbook 44, response to consumer complaints, and the extended registration period deadline. Furthermore, the MDE presented findings from the ACT Needs Assessment Study, covering infrastructure demands, recommended station deployment, necessary purchase incentives, and the timeline for transitioning the state vehicle fleet to zero-emission vehicles. State agency announcements included updates on various grant programs and a recap of the first NEVI Stations ribbon-cutting events in December 2025.