California to receive $56 million to build out EV infrastructure
The Biden administration on Thursday announced the availability of $5 billion in federal funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to build out a national network of electric vehicle charging and alternative vehicle fueling stations over the next five years along designated highways.
Under Transportation Department requirements, states must submit plans to the federal government and can begin construction by this fall if they focus first on highway routes, rather than neighborhoods and shopping centers, that can allow people to take their electric vehicles long distances. Each station would need to have at least four fast-charger ports, which enable drivers to fully recharge their vehicles in about an hour.
Many technical details are to be worked out, and the administration acknowledges it will take work to persuade drivers accustomed to gas-powered cars, particularly in rural areas. The money is far less than the $15 billion that Biden had envisioned to fulfill a campaign promise of 500,000 charging stations by 2030, and it might take substantial private investment to make the plan work.
California will receive over $56 million this year to invest in EV charging infrastructure, according to North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael). “House Democrats are delivering for the people — electrifying America will help us combat the climate crisis and create well-paying jobs here at home.”
Huffman, a long-time proponent of EVs, introduced legislation last year to electrify at least 75% of the United States Postal Service’s fleet.
State Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) expressed his gratitude to Huffman for being “a tireless climate champion” and working with Congress to “secure these critical dollars.”
“Emissions from cars and trucks are the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions here in the Golden State and throughout the nation,” McGuire told the Times-Standard. “This major federal investment builds upon California’s $1 billion that’s been secured over the next three years to build out electric vehicle infrastructure in all corners of the state.”
A second, competitive grant program designed to further increase EV charging access in locations throughout the country, including in rural and underserved communities, will be announced later this year, according to Huffman’s office.
Assemblymember Jim Wood (D-Santa Rosa) said rural communities “need more charging stations.”
“Throughout the rural district I represent, people have to drive long distances to get anywhere — to and from work, the grocery store, and the doctor’s office,” Wood told the Times-Standard. “Even if you have an all-electric or plug-in vehicle, just having a home charger is not going to cut it. Although it’s great that California will receive billions of dollars over the next decade to build out the EV infrastructure statewide, we need to make sure rural communities have as much opportunity as urban and suburban areas to see those projects implemented.”
Since 2012, the Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA) has worked to support the adoption of electric vehicles by developing readiness plans and installing and maintaining a network of 27 charging stations in 13 locations around Humboldt County, according to Nancy Stephenson, the communications strategies manager for RCEA.
“With the physical and economic limitations of the rural North Coast region, the majority of these stations could only be installed with the help of state funding and RCEA is always looking for opportunities to expand our charging station network into hard-to-reach areas of the county that otherwise wouldn’t have access to EV charging,” Stephenson said. “Even one charger in a community can have a positive impact by increasing EV awareness and allowing interested community members to switch to an electric vehicle even if they aren’t able to charge at home.”
Federal and state funding will help RCEA meet its goal of developing the public, workplace, and residential EV charging infrastructure necessary to support 6,000 electric vehicles on the road in Humboldt County by 2025 and 22,000 vehicles by 2030, she added.
Brian Gerving, director of public works for the city of Eureka, said the federal funds will play a critical role in facilitating EV infrastructure expansion throughout the city.
“The city of Eureka is working hard to expand publicly accessible EV charging infrastructure,” Gerving said. “… We are monitoring the roll-out of the plan closely and look forward to new funding opportunities. Many of the funds will be funneled through the state and we expect to work closely with our colleagues at Caltrans and other state agencies to put projects on the ground.”
Electric vehicles amounted to less than 3% of U.S. new auto sales last year, but forecasters expect big increases in the next decade. Consumers bought about 400,000 fully electric vehicles. According to a Consumer Reports survey, anxiety about limited range and the availability of charging stations were among the top concerns consumers had about owning an EV.
Biden hopes to do even more to promote electric vehicles, including a provision in his stalled social and environmental bill for a $7,500 tax credit for people who buy electric vehicles.
More information can be found at fhwa.dot.gov/bipartisan-infrastructure-law.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Isabella Vanderheiden can be reached at 707-441-0504.
By: Isabella Vanderheiden
Source: Eureka Times-Standard
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