Latest news with #NEVIFormulaProgramGuidance
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Plug pulled: Federal funding halt leaves Virginia's EV future in limbo
One of Pilot's EV Charging Stations on Interstate 95. (Photo by Nathaniel Cline/Virginia Mercury) Virginia's push to expand electric vehicle charging stations has hit a major roadblock — 51 of 53 planned projects are now on hold after a federal freeze, jeopardizing efforts to build out the state's public EV infrastructure. The halt comes as experts stress the urgent need for more charging access, arguing it's critical for reducing carbon emissions generated and accelerating the shift to clean transportation. Trip Pollard, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, called the freeze both harmful and legally questionable. 'I think it's problematic, this freeze, both because of the significant environmental and health benefits of electrifying transportation, but also, I think this freeze is illegal,' said Pollard. He pointed to the NEVI statutory language, which he says makes it clear states should be allowed to move forward once their plans are approved — unless Congress intervenes. With Virginia's growing number of electric vehicle registrations, Pollard warned that delaying the program will leave the state without the charging infrastructure needed to keep pace. 'I think there's a real issue about the legality of what they're doing, in addition to it being a very bad policy move,' he said. The decision to freeze funding was outlined in a Feb. 6 letter from the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Highways Administration, stating that the agency has 'rescinded' all guidance of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program. The move is part of President Donald Trump's broader review of federal transportation programs. 'The FHWA is updating the NEVI Formula Program Guidance to align with current U.S. DOT policy and priorities,' the letter states. Just days earlier, on Jan. 29, the transportation department revised its policies to mandate economic analysis and ensure all DOT-funded projects provide clear financial benefits to the American economy. Virginia House Transportation Committee Chair Karrie Delaney, D-Fairfax, isn't mincing words about the federal government's decision to halt EV charging projects. The move, she says, defies logic. 'Blocking funds dispersed by Congress doesn't save taxpayer money, nor does it change the fact that demand for electric vehicles is only increasing — an industry I believed had robust support from the administration,' Delaney said in a statement. She urged the commonwealth to press forward with the NEVI program despite the freeze and to challenge the decision in court. 'Given that a memo does not supersede law, I strongly encourage Virginia to continue using NEVI funds to build charging infrastructure, as congressionally-directed, and to join in any legal efforts challenging the illegal actions by this administration,' Delaney said. Before the FHWA pulled the plug, Virginia was slated to receive $100 million over five years from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to expand EV charging statewide. The funding was meant to ensure stations were available every 50 miles along interstate highways and within one mile of federally designated alternative fuel corridors. The freeze has already stalled projects. Electrify America, which had applied for funding to install charging stations at the Spotsylvania Towne Centre Mall along Interstate 95 in Fredericksburg, never received the obligated funds before the directive took effect. 'Electrify America is continuing to engage with stakeholders to understand the ongoing developments impacting the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program,' said Tara Geiger, a spokeswoman for Electrify America and Electrify Canada. 'We remain committed to growing our coast-to-coast Hyper-Fast network to support transportation electrification.' Despite the setback, Geiger has noted that Electrify America currently operates more than 45 charging stations in the commonwealth, with additional locations set to open this year. While most EV charging projects in Virginia are stuck in limbo, one is moving ahead. Pilot Travel Center's planned charging station along Interstate 95 in Skippers was among the few nationwide to receive federal authorization and funding before the freeze took effect, allowing it to proceed. 'Pilot is committed to being the leading energy and experience provider for all drivers,' said Brandon Trama, head of the company's vehicle electrification and infrastructure. 'While government programs may change over time, we try to anticipate and adapt to those shifts to best serve our guests. With travel centers conveniently located along all major interstates, our charging network aims to fill a need for long-distance EV travelers and we plan to continue building out our EV network.' With federal funding now on ice, experts say the responsibility falls to states to drive EV infrastructure forward. Stuart Gardner, executive director of Generation 180, which educates consumers on making the switch to electric, warned that without state leadership, progress could stall. 'Not only does it ensure current and future EV owners have the confidence to drive electric, but it provides Virginia's industry and workforce the long-term stability to plan for investments and training,' Gardner said. One way Virginia is stepping up is through House Bill 1791, sponsored by Del. Rip Sullivan, D-Fairfax. The bill aims to assist private developers to cover non-utility costs for installing EV charging stations in rural areas. Gov. Glenn Youngkin is currently weighing the measure, which carries a $2 million funding request. Sullivan argues that said the bill is a necessity, especially in light of the federal freeze. 'The suspension of the federal NEVI program makes the program established by HB 1791 even more important, and the case for the governor to sign it even more compelling,' he said. 'Whether you like EV's or not, the number of EV's on Virginia's roads continues to grow. Expanding EV charging infrastructure is important to local businesses, and increasingly important to Virginia's tourism industry, one of Virginia's largest economic drivers.' According to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, as of mid-2022, about 311,000 electric, plug-in hybrid or traditional hybrid vehicles were registered in the commonwealth — out of 6.9 million total vehicles. Sullivan stressed that boosting charging access isn't just about sustainability — it's an economic imperative. We need to ensure that visitors — from Virginia and elsewhere — who want to drive to (and spend money in) our gorgeous rural areas can be confident that they will be able to charge their EV. The program created by HB 1791 will do just that,' he said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
ARDOT says state electirc vehicle infrasturcture plan has been suspended
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — The Arkansas Department of Transportation closed the current request for proposals for the Arkansas Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Program after it was suspended. According to a press release from ARDOT, the United States Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration sent a letter on Feb. 6 notifying state departments of transportation that the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program Guidance has been rescinded and all state EVID plans have been suspended. The release says the FHWA is updating the NEVI Formula Program Guidance to align with the current U.S. DOT policy and priorities. These updates include those set up by the U.S. DOT. According to the release, the FHWA wants to have an updated NEVI Formula Guidance draft published for public comment in spring 2025. Following public comment, the FHWA will publish an updated final NEVI Formula Guidance that responds to the comments received. According to the release, the NEVI Formula Program Guidance rescission and the State EVID Plans require ARDOT to close the current RFP. The release says no new federal funding obligations will occur under the NEVI Formula Program. The 19 awarded projects from 2024 will not be able to move forward with their agreements because of the rescissions. ARDOT says it will re-evaluate the NEVI program once the updated NEVI Formula Program Guidance is published by FHWA. Arkansas was among the first group of 35 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico with approved EVID plans. The plan was approved by former President Joe Biden's administration in 2022 and was funded by his Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The states had access to more than $900 million in NEVI formula funding from fiscal year 2022 and fiscal year 2023 to help build electric vehicle chargers across around 53,000 miles of highway across the country. President Donald Trump has slammed federal funding for electric vehicle chargers as 'an incredible waste of taxpayer dollars.' The administration may need an act of Congress to stop the EV program's spending, and it's unclear if there will be one. Industry leaders say customer demand will continue to drive growth in the charging network, regardless of federal funding. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
$71 million program for EV charging stations in Eastern Washington suspended after Federal memo
Feb. 8—A program to award $71 million in grant funding to install electric vehicle charging stations along priority "alternative fuel corridors" throughout Eastern Washington is on pause following a new directive from the Federal Highway Administration. On Thursday, Emily Biondi, associate administrator of the Office of Planning, Environment and Realty at the Federal Highway Administration, notified the heads of state transportation departments throughout the country that the new leadership at the agency has "decided to review the policies underlying the implementation" of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program. The program, included in the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, was set to distribute $5 billion to states to "strategically deploy electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and to establish an interconnected network to facilitate data collection, access, and reliability," according to the Federal Highway Administration. "Effective immediately, no new obligations may occur under the NEVI Formula Program until the updated final NEVI Formula Program Guidance is issued and new State plans are submitted and approved," Biondi wrote Thursday. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, the directive halts $102 million that was meant for Washington. "WSDOT doesn't spend the money itself, we award it to grant applicants for programs and projects," Barbara LaBoe, acting deputy communications director for the agency, wrote in an email. As of Friday, WSDOT is seeking additional information about the specifics of the suspension. WSDOT has suspended two programs that total more than $90 million. One program would award grant funds to install electric vehicle charging stations alongside fuel corridors in the state, which WSDOT was set to receive and distribute $71 million in the program. While applications for the program were due by the end of January, the agency has not distributed funds due to a "lack of clarity" around the federal funding. According to the request for proposal for the program, WSDOT had identified five priority "Alternative Fuel Corridors" in the state, most of which would have filled gaps in charging stations for motorists driving to or through the Spokane area, and planned to install between 14 and 19 fueling stations along the corridors throughout the state. "WSDOT is tracking existing and planned stations that meet port, power, and distance requirements to ensure deploying NEVI infrastructure meets the most critical gaps on our Interstates and US Routes," the request for proposal states. WSDOT has identified U.S. Highway 195from Spokane to the Idaho border, U.S. Highway 395 from Spokane to the Canadian border, U.S. Highway 2 from Leavenworth to Newport and Interstate 90 from Seattle to the Idaho border as priority alternative fuel corridors in the program. Under the program, grants would have covered up to 80% of the project costs, with applicants required to cover at least 20%. WSDOT has also paused a program to install medium- and heavy-duty truck charging and hydrogen refueling stations along Interstate 5 and at transportation hubs. The project, which was part of a tri-state grant also awarded to California and Oregon, was in the planning phase. Grants for the project totaled $102 million, with WSDOT receiving $21.1 million. As of Friday, WSDOT plans to proceed with a $10.1 million grant program to repair electric vehicle charging equipment in the state. According to information from the Federal Highway Administration, the program will fix 560 charging stations in the state. WSDOT said the entirety of the spending in the program has already been authorized. In her memo, Biondi wrote that "reimbursement of existing obligations will be allowed in order to not disrupt current financial commitments." The WSDOT was one of 14 state departments of transportation and 10 local entities awarded competitive funding.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Trump has targeted EV charger funding. It leaves $4M for Maine in doubt.
Feb. 8—The Trump administration is rescinding federal funding to build electric vehicle chargers, leaving in doubt $4 million for Maine to build out a network, though a larger sum from Washington is unaffected, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation said Friday. Federal transportation officials are taking aim at the National Vehicle Infrastructure program, a Biden administration initiative that financed up to 80% of eligible project costs, including the acquisition, installation and network connection of EV chargers. In all, a $5 billion program to build chargers on highways nationwide was halted by the U.S. Department of Transportation. "The new leadership of the Department of Transportation has decided to review the policies underlying the implementation of the NEVI Formula Program," said a memo from the agency on Thursday. "Accordingly, the current NEVI Formula Program Guidance dated June 11, 2024, and all prior versions of this guidance are rescinded." A U.S. Department of Transportation spokesperson said in an email the agency is "utilizing the unique authority afforded under the NEVI Formula Program to ensure the program operates efficiently and effectively and aligns with current U.S. DOT policies and priorities." No new funding may be obligated, but reimbursement of obligations already made will continue to avoid disrupting financial commitments, according to the statement. Paul Merrill, the spokesman for the Maine Department of Transportation, said in an email that the federal directive does not have an impact on $15 million in funding from the program that has been obligated to install EV chargers around Maine. Thirteen charging station sites have been selected, with decisions on further sites pending, he said. The selected sites are in Augusta, two in Bangor, Bridgton, Brunswick, Ellsworth, Newport, two in Portland, Rockland, Rumford, Searsport and Windham. The stations in Augusta and Rockland operate and the others are "in various stages of construction." MaineDOT has yet to obligate about $4 million from the vehicle infrastructure program for the 2026 budget year. "We will await further guidance from U.S. DOT regarding future NEVI funding," Merrill said. Gov. Janet Mills announced last June that the state will add 52 high-speed electric vehicle charging stations at 17 locations in the following year, with many in rural areas. The fast-charging stations can power an EV from empty to 80% in 20 minutes to 1 hour. They're intended to expand Maine's charging network along major highways such as Interstate 95, U.S. Route 2, U.S. Route 302 and areas of Portland and Bangor. NEVI funding accounted for part of the nearly $8.6 million project, with money also from the Governor's Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan and a settlement from the New England Clean Energy Connect transmission project. Broadening the use of electric vehicles in Maine has been a charged political issue, due partly to criticism from Republicans in the Legislature, car dealers and others that Maine is years from building out a network of chargers, particularly in the state's rural areas. So-called "range anxiety" that electric vehicles will lose their charge is similar to the fear of running out of gas in a conventional vehicle. A group of Maine environmentalists and a youth organization have sued the state, accusing officials of failing to comply with targets for reduced greenhouse gas emissions by not adopting policies broadening EV use. President Donald Trump's action against the chargers is part of a broader policy of favoring fossil fuel production and halting zero-carbon initiatives such as offshore wind power. An executive order he issued last month jeopardizes Maine's efforts to develop an offshore wind presence in the Gulf of Maine and build a wind port terminal on Sears Island. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Trump administration suspends $5bn electric vehicle charging program
The Trump administration has ordered US states to suspend a $5bn electric vehicle charging station program in a further blow to the environmental movement since the president's return to the White House. In a memo issued on Thursday to state transportation directors, the transportation department's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) ordered states not to spend any funds allocated to them under the Biden administration as part of the national electric vehicle infrastructure (NEVI) program. 'The new leadership of the Department of Transportation … has decided to review the policies underlying the implementation of the NEVI Formula Program,' Emily Biondi, the FHWA's associate administrator for planning, environment and realty, wrote in the memo. 'Accordingly, the current NEVI Formula Program Guidance dated June 11, 2024, and all prior versions of this guidance are rescinded,' Biondi added. 'As result of the rescission of the NEVI Formula Program Guidance, FHWA is also immediately suspending the approval of all State Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment plans for all fiscal years. Therefore, effective immediately, no new obligations may occur under the NEVI Formula Program until the updated final NEVI Formula Program Guidance is issued and new State plans are submitted and approved,' she wrote. Related: Elon Musk's journey from climate champion to backing EV-bashing Trump Biondi added that until new guidance is issued, reimbursements of existing obligations for designing and building charging stations will be allowed in order to prevent the disruption of current financial commitments. According to an existing page on the energy department's website, the NEVI program provides funding to states to strategically deploy EV chargers. Funding is available for up to 80% of eligible project costs including the acquisition, installation and network connection of EV chargers, proper operation and maintenance of EV chargers, and long-term EV charger data sharing. Politico reports that as of Thursday, the FHWA removed several website pages that provided information on the NEVI program. In a statement to Politico, Andrew Rogers, a former deputy FHWA administrator under the Biden administration, said that the memo 'appears to ignore both the law and multiple restraining orders that have been issued by federal courts'. The outlet further reports Roger saying that the memo appears to be 'in direct violation' of the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, a law that restricts presidents from withholding congressionally approved funding. Currently, 14 states have at least one operational EV station, according to EV States Clearinghouse. As of last November, there are 126 public charging ports in operation across 31 NEVI stations in nine states, marking an 83% increase in open NEVI ports since last quarter, according to a NEVI report. It added that a total of 41 states have released at least their first round of solicitations, with 35 having issued conditional awards or put agreements in place for more than 3,560 fast-charging ports across more than 890 charging station locations. Throughout his campaign, Trump railed against EVs, at one point saying that supporters of the vehicles should 'rot in hell' and that Biden's support of EVs would bring a 'bloodbath' to the US's automotive industry. Last month, as part of a flurry of executive orders he signed during his first days back in office, Trump revoked a Biden-era order from 2021 that had aimed to make half of all new vehicles sold in the US in 2030 electric.
