Gov. Jared Polis on Monday announced that he had joined the governors of seven other western states in signing a memorandum of understanding to voluntarily enhance electric vehicle infrastructure regionally.

“In the absence of federal leadership, states like Colorado are leading the way,” said Polis. “Our goal in Colorado is to reach 100 percent renewable energy by 2040. Increasing consumer choice and supporting an electric vehicle infrastructure will help save people money and protect our planet.”

The states originally signed a Regional Electric Vehicle Plan for the West (or “REV West Plan) in 2017, and this month’s agreement expands upon the initial goals.

This time, the governors want to educate consumers further about electric vehicle use and tamp down fears about limited range of travel. They also plan to coordinate the placement of electric vehicle charging stations in a way that make sense for consumers.

The move was part of a slate of executive orders that Polis unveiled to adopt energy efficiency measures in state government. One of the themes was to expand electric vehicle infrastructure located at government agencies, a goal the multistate framework also encourages through building codes or planning and development processes.

“This type of commitment and cooperation is especially important in the American West where we travel great distances between major metropolitan areas,” said Rep. Alex Valdez, D-Denver, who has worked in the solar industry for nearly a decade. “Transportation electrification is an amazing opportunity to save people money and reduce our collective environmental impact.”

Colorado, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming are the signatories to the plan. The Alternative Fuels Data Center has tracked 793 charging stations featuring 2,119 outlets in Colorado.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated.