States must develop EV infrastructure plans to access $5B in federal funding: DOE, DOT

Dive Brief:

States will need to develop electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure plans to access $5 billion in federal funding under a new program announced Thursday by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and Department of Energy (DOE). The program will allocate funds the 2021 infrastructure law set aside for the development of a national charging network.
The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program will make $615 million available to states in fiscal year 2022. A second, $2.5 billion competitive grant program for states, designed to boost charging access along alternative fuel corridors and in rural and underserved communities, will be announced later this year.
The Biden administration will provide states with guidance on the NEVI program that outlines allowable uses of the funds, where stations should be located and some required characteristics about their charging capacity, according to senior administration officials.

Dive Insight:

The program unveiled Thursday gives an indication of how much funding each state can expect and how they can access it.

Texas could receive the largest amount of money through the program in Fiscal Year 2022, up to $60.4 million. Six other states could receive more than $20 million: California ($56.8 million), Florida ($29.3 million), New York ($25.9 million), Pennsylvania ($25.4 million), Illinois ($22 million) and Ohio ($20.7 million).

President Joe Biden has called for the development of a national EV charging network, with the federal government initially supporting 500,000 chargers by 2030.

'The new EV formula program will provide states with the resources they need to provide their residents with reliable access to an EV charging station," Deputy Federal Highway Administrator Stephanie Pollack said in a statement.

To access the funds, states must submit their charging infrastructure plans to the new Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, headed up by DOE and DOT and announced in December. The office has also launched a new website, DriveElectric.gov, to give states links to technical assistance, data and tools for advancing transportation electrification.

According to the NEVI guidance, states must submit their plans to the joint office by Aug. 1; the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will review and potentially approve them by Sept. 30. The FHWA will approve plans submitted before August "on a rolling basis," according to the document.

The state plans will build on the system of alternative fuel corridors that most states have designated over the past six years. These corridors "will be the spine of the new national EV charging network," according to DOT.

And, keeping in line with President Biden's Justice40 initiative, administration officials say the national charging network must be accessible to users in urban and rural areas and must ensure that at least 40% of the benefits of federal investments will flow to disadvantaged communities.

DOT and DOE will be releasing more specific requirements within 90 days, including requirements for the charging capabilities of fast chargers and their locations along alternative fuel corridors. While exceptions can be made, senior administration officials say chargers will generally need to be within 50 miles of each other.