(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose through the 2023-2025 biennium, the department's public-private partnership office must develop and maintain a program to support the deployment of clean alternative fuel vehicle charging and refueling infrastructure that is supported by private financing.
(2) The department must define corridors in which bidders may propose to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure or hydrogen fueling stations, and may update these corridors over time as needed. Alternatively, a bidder may propose a corridor in which the bidder proposes to install electric vehicle infrastructure or hydrogen fueling stations if the department has adopted rules allowing such a proposal and establishing guidelines for how such a proposal will be considered.
(3)(a) For bid proposals under this section, the department must require the following:
(i) Bidders must have private sector partners contributing to the project who stand to gain indirect value from development of the project, such as motor vehicle manufacturers, retail stores, or tourism stakeholders;
(ii) Bidders must demonstrate that the proposed project will be valuable to clean alternative fuel vehicle drivers and will address an existing gap in the state's low carbon transportation infrastructure;
(iii) Projects must be expected to be profitable and sustainable for the owner-operator and the private partner; and
(iv) Bidders must specify how the project captures the indirect value of charging or refueling station deployment to the private partner.
(b) The department may adopt rules that require any other criteria for a successful project.
(4) In evaluating proposals under this section, the department may use the electric vehicle financial analysis tool that was developed in the joint transportation committee's study into financing electric vehicle charging station infrastructure.
(5)(a) After selecting a successful proposer under this section, the department may provide a loan or grant to the proposer.
(b) Grants and loans issued under this subsection must be funded from the electric vehicle account created in RCW
82.44.200.
(c) Any project selected for support under this section is eligible for only one grant or loan as a part of the program.
(6) The department may conduct preliminary workshops with potential bidders and other potential private sector partners to determine the best method of designing and maintaining the program, discuss how to develop and maintain the partnerships among the private sector partners that may receive indirect value, and any other issues relating to the implementation and administration of this section. The department should consider regional workshops to engage potential business partners from across the state.
(7) The department must adopt rules to implement and administer this section.