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Funding From President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda Supports 30 Projects to Expand Access to Convenient Electric Vehicle Charging and Create Good-Paying Jobs

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Biden-Harris Administration today announced $46.5 million for 30 projects in 16 states and Washington, D.C. to boost electric vehicle (EV) charging performance, resiliency, and reliability; support equitable access to clean transportation solutions; and grow the clean energy workforce. The number of EVs on America’s roads has more than quadrupled since President Biden took office and these investments will be a crucial part of the Administration’s goal of building a national network of 500,000 public EV charging ports by 2030 and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.

“President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda is supporting the buildout of an affordable and reliable EV charging infrastructure built by America’s workers,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “Today’s funding helps drive the nation forward toward an equitable clean transportation future – one that energizes local economies and builds more resilient communities.”

“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,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “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.”

“The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation is proud to fund these game-changing clean transportation projects in communities across the country,” said Gabe Klein, Executive Director of the Joint Office of Energy and Transporation. “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.”

Electrifying America’s transportation sector is essential to mitigating greenhouse gas pollution and addressing climate change, and the transition will improve health outcomes, reduce fuel and maintenance costs, and strengthen our national energy security.

The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Program administered by the Federal Highway Administration and supported by the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office) invests $7.5 billion to build out a convenient and reliable national EV charging network where people live, work and shop.

Today’s announcement of $46.5 million, which will be executed by the Joint Office, builds on this unprecedented federal funding from the President’s Investing in America agenda by making targeted investments in areas requiring critical attention, including:

• EV Charging Resiliency: As transportation electrification accelerates, communities and energy systems must ensure resilient EV charging infrastructure for all users.
• Community-Driven Models and Workforce Development: Installing EV chargers in or near underserved communities—and creating novel business models that prioritize energy justice—will 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 will enable a high-quality, safe, and reliable charging experience for all EV drivers.

The projects support clean transit and school bus deployment, enhance charger resiliency to hurricanes and wildfires, and accelerate workforce development pre-apprenticeship programs, extending the benefits of clean transportation and access to charging and effective workforce development to communities across the country, including throughout rural, urban, and tribal areas. Several projects make use of complementary funding from other federal programs, creating a multiplier effect to ensure community success.

Today’s awards will help to increase 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 is made available through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to accelerate the electrification of the nation’s transportation sector and spur private sector investments in clean transportation.

About the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation: The Joint Office was created through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to facilitate collaboration between the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Joint Office provides technical assistance, analysis, and support to states and localities to help modernize the nation’s transportation system and give Americans the option to choose electric vehicles and save money fueling their vehicles. Learn more at driveelectric.gov.

Courtesy of U.S. DOE.

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• Source: https://cleantechnica.com/2024/01/19/biden-harris-admin-over-46-million-to-enhance-ev-charging-reliability-workforce-development/