In a significant move towards fortifying the nation’s electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, the Biden-Harris Administration has revealed a substantial investment of $46.5 million across 30 projects in 16 states and Washington, D.C. The funding aims to enhance the performance, resilience, and reliability of EV charging stations, ensure equitable access to clean transportation, and contribute to the expansion of the clean energy workforce. The announcement comes as the number of EVs on American roads has surged fourfold since President Biden assumed office. These investments play a pivotal role in the Administration’s ambitious plan to construct a national network comprising 500,000 public EV charging ports by 2030, with a broader objective of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm underscored the significance of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, stating, “President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda is supporting the buildout of an affordable and reliable EV charging infrastructure built by America’s workers. This funding helps drive the nation forward toward an equitable clean transportation future – one that energizes local economies and builds more resilient communities.”
Emphasizing the administration’s commitment to securing a leadership position in the global EV race, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg commented, “The Biden-Harris Administration is focused on ensuring that America wins the EV race, capturing good-paying jobs and the benefits of a clean energy manufacturing economy. These funds are part of that mission, helping to grow our new automotive economy with EVs and EV chargers that are made in America by American workers.”
Gabe Klein, Executive Director of the Joint Office, stated, “The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation is proud to fund these game-changing clean transportation projects in communities across the country. These investments ensure we can meet unique local needs, create good-paying jobs for everyone, innovate new business models, test products thoroughly, and work towards our goal of making it easy for everyone to ride and drive electric.”
The allocation of $46.5 million by the Joint Office will build upon the unprecedented federal funding from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The targeted investments will address critical areas, including:
- EV Charging Resiliency: With the acceleration of transportation electrification, there is a focus on ensuring resilient EV charging infrastructure for all users.
- Community-Driven Models and Workforce Development: Installing EV chargers in or near underserved communities and creating innovative business models prioritizing energy justice aim to provide equitable access to clean transportation options for all Americans.
- EV Charging Performance and Reliability: Increasing commercial capacity for testing and certification of high-power EV chargers and validating real-world performance and reliability is geared towards delivering a high-quality, safe, and reliable charging experience for all EV drivers.
These projects are designed to support clean transit and school bus deployment, enhance charger resiliency to natural disasters like hurricanes and wildfires, and accelerate workforce development pre-apprenticeship programs. The goal is to extend the benefits of clean transportation, charging access, and effective workforce development to communities across the country, including rural, urban, and tribal areas. Several projects will leverage complementary funding from other federal programs, creating a multiplier effect to ensure community success.
These awards mark a crucial step in increasing the reliability of chargers by providing funding for validating and testing charging equipment, advancing new business models for electrified shared mobility and fleet-based services, and increasing opportunities for underserved communities through new jobs and training resources.
This funding, made available through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is poised to accelerate the electrification of the U.S. transportation sector and stimulate private sector investments in clean transportation.
