U.S. Energy, Transportation Departments announce all 50 States, D.C., and Puerto Rico have submitted EV charging network plans

On Tuesday, the U.S. Departments of Energy and Transportation announced that all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have submitted plans to deploy electric vehicle infrastructure.

As part of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, states were required to submit plans for building out a network of electric vehicle charging stations to receive the first round of funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for EV charging stations. President Joe Biden’s administration said the on-time submission by every state is a demonstration of widespread acceptance of the need for an EV charging infrastructure.

“Today’s milestone in our plans to build an interconnected national EV charging network is proof that America is prepared to act on President Biden’s call to modernize the national highway system and help Americans drive electric,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “Our whole-of-government approach, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and coordinated through the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, will boost local economies, strengthen our independence from the volatilities of fossil fuels, and ensure that electric vehicle charging deserts are a thing of the past.”

Over the next five years, the federal government will make $5 billion in funding available to states under the NEVI Formula Program. The allocation followed a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on proposed minimum standards and requirements that would ensure the national EV charging network is user-friendly, reliable, and accessible to all Americans, the administration said. The funding required that states provide the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation with their EV charging network plans by Aug. 5.

“We appreciate the thought and time that states have put into these EV infrastructure plans, which will help create a national charging network where finding a charge is as easy as locating a gas station,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “We will continue to work closely with all fifty states, D.C. and Puerto Rico to ensure EV chargers across the country are convenient, affordable, reliable, and accessible for all Americans.”