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

States must develop EV infrastructure plans to access $5B in federal funding

• The Department of Transportation and the Department of Energy announced a new program that will give $5 billion to states to develop electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The money will be given out as part of the 2021 infrastructure law.
• The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program will give out $615 million to states in fiscal year 2022. A second, $2.5 billion competitive grant program for states will be announced later this year. This grant program is designed to increase access to charging for electric vehicles along alternative fuel corridors and in rural and underserved communities.
• The Biden administration will provide states with guidance on the NEVI program. This will outline what the funds can be used for, where stations should be located and some required characteristics about their charging capacity.

On Thursday, a program that will give money to states was announced. The program says how much money each state can expect and how they can access it. Texas is expected to get the most money through this program in Fiscal Year 2022, up to $60.4 million. Six other states are expected to 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).

President Joe Biden has called for the development of a national electric vehicle charging network. The federal government will initially support the installation of 500,000 chargers by 2030.

Stephanie Pollack, Deputy Federal Highway Administrator, said that the new EV formula program will give states the resources they need to provide their residents with easy access to an EV charging station.

States need to submit their plans for charging infrastructure to a new office in order to access the funds. The new office is called the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation and it is run by the Department of Energy and the Department of Transportation. This office has also created a website called DriveElectric.gov that will help states with advancing transportation electrification.

States need to submit their plans to the joint office by Aug. 1. The Federal Highway Administration will review and approve the plans, but it is not clear when this will happen. The FHWA says it will approve plans submitted before August "on a rolling basis."

The state plans to create a system of alternative fuel corridors. This system will build on the alternative fuel corridors that most states have created over the past six years. These corridors will serve as the backbone of a new national electric vehicle charging network, according to DOT.

Officials say that the national charging network should be accessible to people in both rural and urban areas. They also say that at least 40% of the benefits from federal investments should 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. Officials say that, in general, chargers will need to be within 50 miles of each other. However, exceptions can be made.

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