by Peter Hall, Pennsylvania Capital-Star
The Trump administration has cleared the way for states to resume building electric vehicle charging stations after freezing a $5 billion EV infrastructure initiative earlier this year.
Pennsylvania is among the leading states in the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, with nearly $77 million in federal funding committed to 90 public-private partnerships to build charging stations along designated routes across the commonwealth.
With the program’s initial objective achieved, the state is poised to take the next steps with broader deployment of the funds. But, it has been unable to do so since the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) halted the program, a state Department of Transportation spokesperson said.
“Without federal guidelines, we were unable to move forward as quickly as we could have,” PennDOT spokesperson Zachary Appleby said. “The Shapiro administration has consistently pushed for guidelines and a clear path to accessing funds made available to our state by Congress.”
There are now about 20 charging stations built with NEVI funds in operation across Pennsylvania. Over the course of the five-year program, the commonwealth is set to receive more than $171 million.
Citing concerns about its efficiency, the FHWA rescinded the program’s guidelines for a review in February, shortly after President Donald Trump took office. At the time, 84% of the program’s funds were unobligated, which the agency said was “a clear signal of the program’s failure.”
Pennsylvania had expended only $3.1 million of the funds it had received when the program was halted, according the U.S. Department of Transportation.
After a federal judge in Washington ordered the administration to resume the program, the FHWA issued new guidelines Aug. 11 and gave states until Sept. 10 to resubmit plans for the next round of funding. Gov. Josh Shapiro was among 16 governors and attorneys general who sued the Trump administration to release the funding.
Expressing reluctance to proceed with the program, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the new guidance cuts out “red tape” left by the previous administration and gives states more flexibility in how to use the money.
“If Congress is requiring the federal government to support charging stations, let’s cut the waste and do it right,” Duffy said in a statement. “While I don’t agree with subsidizing green energy, we will respect Congress’ will and make sure this program uses federal resources efficiently.”
The FHWA said its review of the program found the Biden administration wasted time, money and public trust in implementing the program. Under Duffy’s leadership, it said the agency has streamlined the NEVI guidance to align with the Trump administration’s priorities of safety, efficiency and innovation.
Congress funded the NEVI program in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. In addition to $5 billion for EV charging infrastructure, it also provides $2.5 billion for other alternative fuels including hydrogen, propane, and natural gas.
Initially, projects funded with the money were to be focused on Alternative Fuel Corridors along designated routes across the country. In Pennsylvania, the corridors follow the commonwealth’s interstate highway network.
According to PennDOT, the NEVI funded charging stations have provided about 28,000 EV charging sessions and eliminated an estimated 1.56 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, which are a contributing factor in climate change.
In addition to the program, the state Department of Environmental Protection paid to build EV chargers as part of the Driving PA Forward program, using some of the $118 million the commonwealth received in a settlement with Volkswagen over its diesel emissions cheating scandal. Those include new chargers at the North Somerset and South Somerset service plazas on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Appleby at PennDOT said Pennsylvania achieved full build-out of its Alternative Fuel Corridors in January and can now use remaining funds to build EV chargers along other state roads.
“We plan to stay the course with a competitive program that maximizes available NEVI funds to provide a robust EV charging program in Pennsylvania,” Appleby said.
The new guidelines were issued in accordance with Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order titled “Unleashing American Energy,” which, among other objectives, sought to “eliminate the ‘electric vehicle (EV) mandate’ and promote true consumer choice.”
According to the FHWA, the revised guidelines minimize requirements for state NEVI plans that are not included in statutes or regulations and simplifies the state approval process.
They reduce the requirements to engage and consult with communities where the projects would be built. The revisions eliminate language specifying engagement with rural, underserved and disadvantaged communities, to ensure diverse views are considered and that EV infrastructure provides equitable access.
The guidelines also eliminate requirements to explain how the state plans will provide opportunities for small businesses, including minority- and women-owned businesses, and target at least 40 percent of the program’s benefits toward disadvantaged communities.
They also do away with requirements for states to address consumer protection, emergency evacuation plans, and environmental considerations.
States would have greater flexibility, however, to determine how far apart chargers should be along alternative fuel corridors, when the corridor requirements are satisfied and to select projects where the charging stations are owned by businesses that host them.
Pennsylvania Capital-Star is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Pennsylvania Capital-Star maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Tim Lambert for questions: in**@**************ar.com.
