In November 2021, the U.S. Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Signed into law by then-President Joe Biden on Nov. 15 of that year, this once-in-a-generation type of deal sought to direct investment funds toward the nation’s critical infrastructure such as roads, bridges, railroads, access to clean drinking water, access to high-speed internet, and initiatives to tackle the climate crisis.

As part of the plan, significant funding was earmarked to support the adoption of electric vehicles along with the important types of materials and infrastructure required for a nationwide shift to be successful.

In alignment with the Biden administration's ambitions for federal operations to have net-zero emissions by 2050, including a 65 percent emissions reduction by 2030, the U.S. government aimed to shift its fleet of 600,000 cars and trucks to be powered by carbon-pollution-free electricity.

The election of Donald Trump has thrown several of the IIJA's priorities into question, namely the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program and the Charging & Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program. While President Trump has paused disbursements to these programs, electric vehicle infrastructure remains a major concern for government officials, business leaders, electric vehicle drivers, and 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:investors, making it essential to know what the future holds for ele💮ctric vehicle infrastructu🐟re.

Electric Vehicle Charging Action Plan

On Dec. 13, 2021, The Biden-Harris Electric Vehicle Charging Action Plan was announced. The announcement outlined the steps that federal agencies would be taking to support developing chargers and deploying charging stations in communities across the country. As part of the plan, the Department of Energy and the Department of Transportation established a Joint Office of Energy and Transportation to focus on deploying infrastructure for electric vehicles.

On Dec. 14, 2021, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create the joint office, which would oversee the deployment of $7.5 billion over five fiscal years (2022–2026) to build a national electric-vehicle charging network of 500,000 chargers. The joint office is also tasked with working closely with stakeholders to collect input and guidance to ensure that the charging solutions are convenient for all Americans, and to focus on filling gaps in rural, disadvantaged, and hard-to-reach locations. The ܫof♔fers webinars, the latest news, and state guidance.

Solicitation for Alternative Fuel Corridors

The U.S. Department of Transportation is working on the eighth round of alternative fuel corridors designations. This program, created under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST) in 2015, recognizes highway segment🌼s that have infrastructure plans to allow travel on alternative fuels, including electricity.

Nominations for Alternative Fuel Corridor designation is a critical step in the designation process and is of great importance because it is currently connected to the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program funding, which is discussed below. The deadline for the eighth round of solicitation was Aug. 1, 2024.

Nat🦄ional Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formul😼a Program (NEVI)

On Feb. 10, 2022, the U.S. Department of Transportation released its background information, funding eligibilities, and program guidance relating to the implementation of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program (NEVI). This program is the mechanism for how the federal government will strategically deploy the funds🐲 to support the creation of a national network of 500,000 chargers by 2030.

Under the program, state departments of transportation were required to submit an EV Infrastructure Deployment Plan that describes how the state intends to use the program’s funds in accordance with its guidance. Plans had to be submitted no later than Aug. 1, 2022, with approval of eligible plans by Sept. 30, 2022. All 50 states ended up submitting plans, which the Biden-Harris administration approved in September 2022.

While some people disagree with the cost, $5 billion of the allotted $7.5 billion was earmarked to be distributed under the NEVI program, and the funds were to be directed to designated Alternative Fuel Corridors. Ten percent of the NEVI Formula Program funds were scheduled to be set aside each 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:fiscal year for the secretary of transportation to provide discretionary grants to help fill gaps in the national network.

Discretionary Grant P♕rogram for Charging and Fueling🃏 Infrastructure

The $2.5 billion discretionary grant program is divided into two distinct $1.25 billion grant programs to ensure charger deployment meets program priorities such as supporting rural change, building resilient infrastructure, and increasing access to EV chargers in underserved communities, to name a few.

Justice40 Initiative

From early on in the Biden administration, it was clear that some of the main priorities would be set around racial equity, serving underserved communities, and tackling climate change. While many issues overlap, the administration launched the Justice40 initiative, which aimed to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of federal investments in climate, and clean energy, including sustainable transportation, to disadvantaged communities.

Domestic Manufacturing and Jobs

The plan to install electric charging stations in every corner of the country, and to create a domestic supply chain, seeks to position America as a leader in electric vehicles and to create good-paying union jobs. Companies will be needed to manufacture key components, and to conduct installations and maintenance. Workers will be needed to fill the types of jobs that did not exist only a few short years ago. When viewed from a nationwide perspective, the goal is that the combined efforts will be a strong step toward a more energy-efficient future.

Key Dates

State departments of transportation worked to identify their plans on how to best put NEVI funds to work by Aug. 1, 2022. The end of summer 2022 marked a key time in the shift toward electric-po𝐆wered transportation. The eighth round of solicitation of new Alternative Fuel Corridors was completed by Aug. 1, 2024.

The Bottom Line

With the outline of an aggressive plan to revitalize American infrastructure in 2021,🅘 to the release of the action plan to create a nationwide network of 500,000 electric-vehicle chargers, the United States started down the path to a greener 🦄future. While President Donald Trump has expressed doubts and made moves to delay further adoption, significant investments of time and money have already been made in EV infrastructure. It remains to be seen whether the President has the power or support in Congress and the courts to significantly delay the adoption or revoke funds earmarked for EV infrastructure.