Nebraska may see additional electric vehicle charging stations under new law

A bill passed in this year’s Nebraska legislative session may increase the number of electric vehicle charging stations in the state, according to electric vehicle lobbying group Charge Ahead Partnership.

A provision from State Sen. Eliot Bostar regulating electric vehicle charging stations was passed unanimously as part of a larger package bill in April.

Through the end of 2027, non-utility EV charging providers can prohibit public power companies from building their own charging stations within 15 miles of their location.

Public power companies are also prohibited from operating charging stations with different rates, terms and conditions from their privately-owned counterparts.

Raina Shoemaker Fromm, owner of Shoemaker’s Travel Center in Lincoln, said the legislation opens the door for her to invest in electric vehicle charging stations at her business.

“Up until this point, we weren’t allowed to charge for charging,” she said. “And that kind of was a holdup for a lot of obvious reasons to put in chargers.”

With more charging stations, Fromm said potential electric vehicle buyers could have less range anxiety.

“The chicken and the egg problem is that people don’t want to buy EV vehicles because they don’t know where they would charge it, but we don’t want to put in chargers until we know that people want to charge them,” she said.

Beginning in 2028, an excise tax of three cents per kilowatt hour on energy used to charge electric vehicles will be levied.