Public power communities are included among the recipients of grants announced on Jan. 11 by the U.S. Department of Transportation to help build out an electric vehicle charging network across the U.S.
The public power communities will receive a portion of the overall $623 million in grants.
The grants are made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s $2.5 billion Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant (CFI) Program, a competitive funding program, and will fund 47 EV charging and alternative-fueling infrastructure projects in 22 states and Puerto Rico, including construction of approximately 7,500 EV charging ports. Public power entities, as political subdivisions of states, units of local government, or authorities, agencies, or instrumentalities of state or local governments are uniquely eligible to apply for the CFI program.
The CFI program complements the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure formula program to build the “backbone” of high-speed EV chargers along our nation’s highways.
As part of the announcements, the Federal Highway Administration is awarding $311 million to 36 community projects, including two Indian Tribes in Alaska and Arizona.
These projects invest in EV charging and hydrogen fueling infrastructure in urban and rural communities, including at convenient and high-use locations like schools, parks, libraries, multi-family housing, and more.
Another $312 million in funding will go to 11 “corridor” recipients whose projects are located along roadways designated as Alternative Fuel Corridors. These projects will fill gaps in the core national charging and alternative-fueling network, the DOT said.
Included among the grant recipients is Washington State joint action agency Energy Northwest, which is receiving a $15 million grant to install 40 fast chargers and 12 Level 2 chargers across western Washington State and northern Oregon. The project will provide EV access to largely rural and disadvantaged communities, including on Indigenous Tribal lands.
The following public power communities are receiving grants as well:
- City of Mesa, Arizona ($11,898,571.00);
- City of Port Angeles, Washington ($2,103,611.20);
- City of Idaho Falls, Idaho ($3,002,856.00)
- City of Lansing, Mich. ($8,000,000.00)
- City of Columbia, Mo. ($3,610,708.00)
- City of Kings Mountain, N.C. ($822,737.31)
Additional details about the federal grant recipients are available on the DOT’s website.
Additional rounds of CFI funding opportunities are expected to open in the near future.
