First a few questions, would you be upset if emission testing for your car was ended? Are you considering purchasing an extended range electric vehicle when they become available? If jobs could be created to support advanced energy storage and advanced battery technology development and production, would you support that effort?
If the legislature could pass a bill that would accomplish all the things listed above with no new taxes would you want that legislation passed? Well there is an opportunity to do just that.
A bill is being introduced that will do all these things. The bill is a bi-partisan effort that is the culmination of more than a year and a half of effort by local companies and institutions.
This legislation originates from a discussion with the owner of numerous automotive dealerships in Wisconsin. The message that came from this discussion was that the new electric technologies in the automotive industry will be slow to arrive in Wisconsin. It is expected that these new vehicles, like the Chevrolet Volt, will be directed to the east and west coasts before any appreciable number of these vehicles would be sold here. There would need to be an effort made to set the stage for these cars to be directed here and to provide consumers with the choice to purchase these advanced vehicles.
A workgroup was assembled that took to the task to identify what could be done to prepare the region and the state to attract the notice of the auto manufacturers and have these vehicles shipped to Wisconsin for purchase. We Energies, General Motors and Marquette University all contributed to this ongoing effort. The expertise and insight this group provided proved invaluable in the development of the ideas that eventually lead to the introduction of this legislation.
Another event that was a major factor in the development of this legislation was a tour of the Johnson Controls Inc. facility here in Milwaukee. The introduction and explanation of the amazing technologies that are being developed right here in southeastern Wisconsin were eye opening and further guided the discussions and efforts of the work group. From that point forward Johnson Controls has provided valuable perspective to the development of this legislation.
One other development served to guide the efforts of this workgroup and weighed heavily in the development of the legislation. Both the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee and Marquette University have announced plans to build brand new engineering buildings. The untapped potential that these new investments in higher education bring, paired with the other academic institutions in the region, will provide both research and education opportunities for a workforce to meet the needs of the companies in Wisconsin.
The bill being introduced will address four areas that were identified as necessary to take advantage of the unique opportunity we have here in southeastern Wisconsin and across the state. First, the bill will exempt from sales tax the purchase of these new vehicles in Wisconsin. The second item deals with exempting from property taxation any added value that is incurred as a result of installing equipment that is used in the charging of the batteries in the new vehicles. The bill also moves up an incentive for companies to invest in equipment used in research.
Finally, the legislation will end the current emission testing program and reinvest the funds from the testing program. This funding stream will be administered by the Department of Commerce to support the development of advanced energy storage or battery development in the region that currently is subject to the IM testing program. Academic institutions along with industry will be given access to these funds.
The goal of this legislation is to help set the stage for an advanced energy storage and battery technology hub to develop here in SE Wisconsin. Given the concentration of industry leaders in this field and the capabilities of our academic institutions there is every reason to believe we could find ourselves quickly becoming world leaders in this field. Similar to the developing water hub that exists here, a hub focused on energy storage and battery technology development could provide employment and educational research opportunities across the region. The economic and educational future of our region could be greatly enhanced through the success of this hub.
To better understand the impact this effort could have on Wisconsin and our area, three additional articles will follow. An in-depth look at the impact on industry, academics and consumers will be provided. This opportunity has been recognized by others in the region, across the nation and worldwide. The time has come for everyone to come together and work to take advantage of this opportunity.
State Rep. Jeff Stone (R-Greendale) represents Wisconsin’s 82nd Assembly District.
