Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Releases Plan for VW Settlement

On April 11, 2018, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency released their plan for the $47-million dollar Volkswagen settlement in the state. Drive Electric Minnesota is pleased to see the plan includes smart investments in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and electrification of heavy trucks and buses.

We have long supported this work and applaud the agency’s efforts to gather public input and ensure that input was reflected in the final plan. You can read our stakeholders’ recommendations and supporting data in our letters to the commissioner in June 2017 and March 2018.

In its coverage of the Volkswagen settlement, Minnesota Public Radio reported that the first phase of the plan will allocate 15-percent of the funds for electric vehicle charging stations, the maximum allowed under the settlement. In the same article, Great Plains Institute vice president and DEMN’s Brendan Jordan is quoted as saying, “It’s not going to supply all the charging that is needed, but it will give us that minimum basic network that will allow us to get started as a state to build a market.”

We look forward to working with the MPCA on implementation as we continue our goal to make Minnesota a national leader in the adoption of electric vehicle technology and charging infrastructure. Together we can electrify the transportation sector, lower transportation costs, improve air quality, and increase energy independence as we drive toward a cleaner future for Minnesota.