PA Awarded $25.4 Million In Federal Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Funding

On September 14, Gov. Tom Wolf announced Pennsylvania was awarded $25.4 million to invest in clean transportation through the state's plan for electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure deployment under the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. 

"Addressing the global threat of climate change is a top priority throughout my administration and it's a priority that President Joe Biden and I share. Investing in EV infrastructure is a critical way to reduce greenhouse gases and make EV chargers accessible for more Pennsylvanians," Gov. Wolf said. "I'm grateful that the Biden Administration has committed a significant portion of the landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for clean transportation, and that Pennsylvania will receive this initial investment to support our state's efforts."  

The federal funding is part of a new National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program under the BIL that provides Pennsylvania more than $170 million over the next five years to support EV infrastructure. 

The Pennsylvania NEVI Plan will be administered by the Department of Transportation (PennDOT).

“PennDOT and our partners have been hard at work preparing for a future filled with electric vehicles,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “These new funds available to us through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law give Pennsylvania the opportunity to reinvent transportation in a way that is smarter, cleaner, safer, more equitable and more efficient than ever before, and we are ready to put them to good use.”

“Increasing access to electric vehicles and EV chargers is one of the best ways to cut down on air pollution and fight climate change,” said Acting DEP Secretary Ramez Ziadeh. “These investments into improving EV charger infrastructure will mean cleaner air for Pennsylvanians, and will pay dividends for years and generations to come.”

There are more than 31,000 EVs registered in Pennsylvania, nearly triple the roughly 9,700 that were registered in March 2019. 

The Wolf Administration has been making investments into EV infrastructure for years through programs like Driving PA Forward, which provides grants and rebates for chargers, and the Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant program that provides grants to EV and other alternative fuel infrastructure.

The NEVI Formula Program provides dedicated funding to Pennsylvania and other states to strategically deploy EV charging infrastructure and establish an interconnected network to facilitate data collection, access, and reliability. 

Initially, funding under this program is directed to designated Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFCs) for build-out of a national EV charging network, particularly along the Interstate Highway System to support long distance travel.

Visit PennDOT’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program webpage for more information.

Related Article:

-- DEP Announces Bigger Electric Vehicle Rebates; Installation Of 54 Fast EV Chargers In Major Traffic Corridors

[Posted: September 14, 2022]  PA Environment Digest