There’s been a lot of noise about high gas prices lately, but some quieter efforts are underway to encourage and expand the use of electric vehicles in New Jersey. A state legislative committee Thursday passed a bill that would direct the state to spend $15 million to buy electric school buses, replacing diesel buses. Meantime, the Board of Public Utilities is getting the word out about several programs that encourage the building of electric vehicle infrastructure. The application window for those incentive programs closes on Monday. Public-private partnerships are vital to expanding EV infrastructure, according to Carine Dumit with EVgo, which received a state grant last year to develop 30 new EV charging stations.
New Jersey has received $6.5 million in federal funding to clean up and then redevelop contaminated brownfield sites. Asbury Park, Camden and Hamilton Township will receive funds, and money will also be distributed for other projects across the state.
A heads-up from the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development: Residents who receive unemployment, disability and family leave benefits on a debit card are getting new cards in the mail this month. The department cautions the cards will be coming from a new provider and may look like junk mail. You can start using the new cards next Wednesday.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell was appointed to another term by an 80-19 vote in the U.S. Senate. New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez voted no, saying the Fed has a serious diversity problem and that under Powell, the agency continues to miss critical opportunities to appoint Latinos at the highest levels of its leadership.
