WALL – Utility and Transportation Contractors Association (UTCA) Executive Director David Rible issued the following statement today regarding President Trump signing a congressional resolution that overturns California’s electric vehicle (EV) mandate:

“This resolution will no doubt impact New Jersey’s attempt to copy California’s ill-conceived EV mandate. While we appreciate the thought behind these mandates, UTCA has been saying for years that the infrastructure simply does not exist to make them a reality. Our contractors could not meet the EV requirements mandated for their construction vehicles. It was not a matter of effort or agreement. They literally could not meet the requirements as imposed on them.

“UTCA members stand ready, willing and able to build the necessary infrastructure on this issue. But without the proper investments from the state and federal government, we just aren’t there yet. Our hope is that President Trump’s action today will force a conversation in New Jersey about how we build the infrastructure needed to realistically put more electric vehicles on the road, and in a manner that doesn’t overburden New Jersey residents.”

About UTCA

UTCA of New Jersey is a non-profit trade association headquartered in Wall, New Jersey. UTCA represents approximately 1,000 member firms in the public and private sectors, active in all phases of heavy, highway, utility, and marine construction, as well as site work including remediation of brownfields and contaminated sites. For more information, log on to http://www.utcanj.org and follow on Twitter @UTCANJ.