There’s good news if you have — or plan to have — an electric vehicle.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced earlier this week that it has approved electric vehicle (EV) charging station plans for all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Together, the plans will cover approximately 75,000 miles of highways.
All 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico now have access to all of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) formula program funding for the fiscal years 2022 and 2023, totaling more than $1.5 billion, according to USDOT.
That NEVI formula funding comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was passed by Congress then signed into law last year by President Joe Biden. It makes $5 billion available over 5 years to “help build a convenient, reliable, and affordable EV charging network across the country,” USDOT explains.
“America led the original automotive revolution in the last century, and today, thanks to the historic resources in the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re poised to lead in the 21st century with electric vehicles,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “We have approved plans for all 50 States, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia to help ensure that Americans in every part of the country — from the largest cities to the most rural communities — can be positioned to unlock the savings and benefits of electric vehicles.”
Building A Network For EVs
“The legislation will provide funding for deployment of EV chargers along highway corridors to facilitate long-distance travel and within communities to provide convenient charging where people live, work, and shop,” according to the White House. “This investment will support the President’s goal of building a nationwide network of 500,000 EV chargers to accelerate the adoption of EVs, reduce emissions, improve air quality, and create good-paying jobs across the country.”
On the one hand, it’s not clear how many charging stations the funds will support, and states have not yet shared specific locations for chargers. What is clear, however, is that USDOT’s approval means all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico can now be reimbursed for projects directly related to the charging of an electric vehicle. That includes work such as upgrading existing EV charging infrastructure, building new EV charging infrastructure, the operation and maintenance costs of these charging stations, and the installation of on-site electrical service equipment.
“With this greenlight, states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico can ramp up their work to build out EV charging networks that will make driving an EV more convenient and affordable for their residents and will serve as the backbone of our national EV charging network,” said Stephanie Pollack, acting federal highway administrator.
A Greener Tomorrow
In the U.S., the transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. The shift toward having more Americans drive electric vehicles will play a key role in working toward President Biden’s goal of reducing 50 percent of U.S. greenhouse emissions from 2005’s levels by 2030, the White House explains. And of course, building a robust network of EV charging stations will be necessary to also support this goal.
You can learn more about each state’s EV Infrastructure Deployment Plan including how it will use its apportioned NEVI formula program funds here.
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