Under the proposal, which has yet to be scheduled for a vote, a portion of the remaining VW money would cover up to half the cost of new fast-charging stations along “clean energy corridors” connecting Wisconsin to neighboring states.

The exact location of the highway corridors and terms of the grants would be established by the Public Service Commission.

Charging station owners could bill customers based on the length of time they plug in but not for the amount of electricity consumed. Utility revenues on electricity for the charging stations would be subject to a 20 percent tax earmarked for transportation funding.

Neylon said Tuesday he was open to changing that piece of the legislation. Doing so would give the legislation the full support of the trade group representing the state’s investor-owned utilities.

While not endorsing the bill, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers has been pushing the state to use VW settlement funds for EV charging stations, which the group says are essential for long-term growth of the market.