The Trump administration paused a grant program that allocates billions of dollars to states to expand the locations of their electric vehicle charging stations.
The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program (NEVI) was set to give our state $57 million. Now, that money is in limbo.
In December, Gov. Jared Polis’ office announced Colorado is number one in the nation for the highest EV market share.
Millions of dollars in limbo for CO national electric vehicle infrastructure
Will Toor, executive director of the Colorado Energy Office, said the data tells us Coloradans are embracing EVs and the announcement to freeze NEVI is a “really destructive and harmful decision.”
60 different projects across the state got funding for the NEVI program, Toor said, and they span across the state from the most rural parts to urban areas.
He said they would have ensured Coloradans with EVs can get fast charging anywhere and go wherever they want with their vehicle.
Now, Toor said at least 23 projects — that’s over 100 charging ports — are now on hold.
“We were looking at over $50 million over five years of available for EV charging, and assuming that the the federal government honors the contracts that we’ve already signed, I think we would be looking at about $17 million of projects actually being federally funded, and with the the rest of the money, you know, totally unclear,” Toor said.
There’s also debate on if this should be a government-led effort.
Jake Fogleman, policy director at the Independent Institute in Denver, said the private sector should lead the way in addressing EVs.
He takes issue with public dollars being used to “incentivize certain people to purchase EVs.”
“You don’t necessarily have a say, at least a direct say, in where your tax dollars are spent, and in the case of things like subsidies, that’s the government choosing to use your tax dollars to facilitate the purchase of an EV,” Fogleman said. “In the case of the EV, I think it’s particularly egregious, because EVs cost more than a traditional internal combustion engine car.”
According to the memo from the Federal Highway Association (FHWA), the agency plans to have an updated draft on guidance for the NEVI program by the spring. That will be published for public comment.
After that comment period has closed, agency leaders said the final guidance will be published.
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