Biden administration opens applications for community EV charging aid
Washington — The U.S. Department of Transportation on Tuesday opened the first round of applications for $2.5 billion in funding for alternative fueling infrastructure, including electric vehicle chargers.
The five-year program will fund EV chargers as well as fueling stations for hydrogen, propane and natural gas. Only medium- and heavy-duty propane stations are eligible.
Half of the funding will go to projects along the nation's "alternative fuel corridors," which are major highways designated by each state that connect it to the rest of the region and in-state population centers. The other half will go to state or local governments interested in using the funding to address community fueling and charging needs, DOT officials said.
Both are intended for "filling gaps" in the larger, $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program that is appropriated to each state based on formula funding and aims to install high-speed chargers within one mile of alternative fuel corridors.
“By helping bring EV charging to communities across the country, this Administration is modernizing our infrastructure and creating good jobs in the process,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “With today’s announcement, we are taking another big step forward in creating an EV future that is convenient, affordable, reliable, and accessible to all Americans.”
The new funding will be aimed at increasing equitable access to electric vehicle charging, with at least 40% of the funding going to disadvantaged communities, including rural areas and tribal groups. Priority will go to projects that support areas that have been disproportionately impacted by the consequences of climate change and other pollutants, according to the administration.
Small energy companies that supply power to northern Lower Michigan and the Upper Peninsula have raised concerns that the federal NEVI formula program could leave rural areas behind because the cost of maintaining minimum power levels required by the government would likely exceed the cost of the chargers themselves.
Administration officials said they anticipate most of the funding for the community-focused half of the discretionary funding will be used for Level 2 chargers, which have lower power requirements than the DC fast chargers required for the NEVI program.
President Joe Biden has promised to build 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations across the country as part of an effort to reduce "range anxiety," which refers to consumer hesitance to buy an electric vehicle due to concerns they won't be able to drive long distances in their new car without long stops to recharge.
Officials also hope the buildout of clean fueling infrastructure will help support well-paying jobs as the automotive industry transitions from gas-powered vehicles to electric ones, which require fewer workers to build and maintain.
Applications for funding through the grant announced Tuesday are due by May 30, 2023.
rbeggin@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @rbeggin