U.S. DOT/DOE Announce $5 Billion To Help States Build EV Charging Infrastructure
The Biden Administration is providing nearly $5 billion to help states create a network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations along designated corridors in the national highway system.
Charging stations will not be placed on federal highways, but located at entrance ramps.
The program is designed as part of the President’s goal to build 500,000 charging stations by 2030.
The funding was included in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58) and is available under the new National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program managed jointly by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Energy (DOE).
The funds will be provided over five years, with $615 million made available to states in fiscal year 2022.
In order to qualify for grant money, states must submit an EV infrastructure deployment plan to the federal Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (JTOF) no later than 8/1/22. The JTOF will approve eligible plans by September 30, 2022.
The grants are awarded directly to state highway authorities with the federal government picking up 80 percent of the cost.
Grant recipients must pay the remaining 20 percent of the cost. But the JTOF encourages states to contract out projects to third parties, such as fuel marketers.
The new program provides State Association Executives with the opportunity to work directly with state highway authorities to ensure EV deployment plans include fuel marketers.
Fuel marketers are uniquely positioned for EV charging ports because they are generally located within a mile of highway exit and entrance ramps.
State corridors will be required to have electric vehicle charging infrastructure installed every 50 miles along portions of the interstate highway system.
Those EV ports must be able to simultaneously charge four electric vehicles. These charging stations will be built along designated alternative fuel corridors, which 40 states have designated in recent years, especially along interstate highways.
Once the national EV network is complete, funds can be shifted to build electric vehicle charging infrastructure on public roads.
The bipartisan infrastructure law included about $7.5 billion for electric vehicle buildout, $2.5 billion of which will support a discretionary grant program for alternative fueling infrastructure that will be announced later this year.
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