On Tuesday, the U.S. Departments of Transportation and Energy announced the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plans for all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have been approved under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program.
The approvals mean the states all have access to formula funding for FY 22 and FY 23 to help build EV chargers along more than 75,000 miles of highway across the country. Part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, more than $1.5 billion over the next two years will be available for states to use to build out the EV charging network infrastructure.
“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.”
As part of the BIL, State Departments of Transportation (DOTS) were able to begin staffing and activities related to the development of their EV charging network plans prior to approval. Now that the plans have been approved, states can be reimbursed for those costs and use their NEVI formula funding on projects related to EV charging like upgrading existing EV charging infrastructure or constructing new EV charging infrastructure, operating and maintaining charging stations, installing on-site electrical service equipment and workforce development activities among other things.
“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 Acting Federal Highway Administrator Stephanie Pollack. “The Federal Highway Administration will continue to work closely with States as we implement this historic funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to bring President Biden’s vision for a national electric vehicle network to communities across America.”