Washington will move forward with several state-funded projects to expand electric vehicle infrastructure after the federal government paused more than $90 million in grants previously appropriated to the state.
“Washingtonians believe in protecting our environment. We have been a national leader for electric vehicles for more than a decade,” Gov. Bob Ferguson said in a statement Tuesday. “Our state will continue to support this important infrastructure, regardless of the chaos at the federal level.”
Still, state officials acknowledge that the potential loss of federal money for electric vehicle charging stations would significantly slash the numbers of projects the state could afford. The pause is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to review spending allocated by previous administrations.
Barbara LaBoe, acting deputy communications director for the Department of Transportation, said Tuesday the potential loss of federal funding was a “challenge to our electrification investment strategy, but Washington’s and WSDOT’s commitment to decarbonization and electric vehicles remains strong.”
The commitment to using state funds follows the Federal Highway Administration notification of the heads of state transportation departments throughout the country last week that new leadership at the agency had “decided to review the policies underlying the implementation” of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program.
The program, which was included in the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, would 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.
Following the announcement, WSDOT suspended two programs Friday that total more than $90 million for electric vehicle infrastructure throughout Washington, including programs to install electric vehicle charging stations alongside fuel corridors in the state and to install medium- and heavy-duty truck charging and hydrogen refueling stations along Interstate 5.
The agency will continue to use state funds to build a “robust, reliable charging infrastructure” throughout the state through other projects, according to LaBoe.
The state has committed $32.7 million for electric vehicle infrastructure in the 2023-25 biennium through the Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Partnership program, which funded 226 Direct Current Fast Charging ports throughout Washington,” LaBoe said. WSDOT also provided a “significant amount” of input in the development of the federal electric vehicle infrastructure program, which resulted from a yearslong effort by the state to invest “its resources in strengthening its EV charging infrastructure.”
Washington previously partnered with Oregon and California to establish the West Coast Electric Highway, which LaBoe said is the country’s first “multi-state highway fast charging corridor.”
Brian G. Henning, director of the Gonzaga Climate Institute, said that transportation is among the largest contributors to both climate change and local air pollution.
“So, transitioning to the electrification of our transportation system is not only reducing the ever-increasing impacts of climate change, but also saving the health and lives of many Washingtonians who live near roadways,” Henning said.
Henning pointed to communities in Spokane, including the East Central neighborhood bisected by I-90, that are “greatly impacted” by car exhaust.
Grants that fund infrastructure improvements for electric vehicles, Henning said, are necessary as they motivate people to purchase vehicles that typically have a higher upfront cost but lower maintenance costs.
“We know that if they’re worried that they won’t be able to charge up on their way to be able to get to where they need to go, people may be less likely to buy an electric car,” Henning said.
As of Friday, WSDOT will proceed with a $10.1 million federal grant program to repair electric vehicle charging equipment in the state. According to information from the Federal Highway Administration, the program will repair 560 charging stations in the state.