HARRISBURG, PA — Fueling Pennsylvania’s transition towards cleaner, safer, and more affordable transportation, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has revealed its ingenious Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator (EVC-RAA) program. This initiative will pivot around enhancing existing electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, making them not just operational, but also more reliable.
The EVC-RAA program is a product of the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), a forward-looking piece of legislation aimed at breathing life into infrastructural projects across the nation. Thanks to BIL, PennDOT is taking sustainable and decisive strides towards addressing climate change and transforming the future of Pennsylvania’s transport ecosystem.
Mike Carroll, PennDOT Secretary, echoed Governor Shapiro’s commitment to boost access to alternative fuels across the state. “Our efforts are aimed at making sure early adopters of EV technology have the means to maintain or upgrade their equipment and stay competitive in the evolving EV market,” Carroll stated.
The generous funding pool of EVC-RAA was opened up for eligible businesses and organizations, keen to repair or replace listed non-operational chargers, on May 23, 2024. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has labeled 174 locations eligible for funding, driving the momentum towards a greener Pennsylvania transportation scenario.
The BIL has played an instrumental role in conceptualizing the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program. NEVI’s main objective is to empower states with funds to strategically position EV charging infrastructure, develop an interconnected network for data collection, access, and reliability. It has stipulated that a tenth of NEVI funds be reserved for granting to states and localities needing additional support for EV infrastructure deployment. PennDOT took advantage of the EVC-RAA program, a subset using the set-aside funds, and received a whopping $5 million grant under this initiative.
Per the FHWA directives, these funds are exclusively for upgrading charging stations to meet FHWA standards. This includes requirements to operate at least four charging ports and maintain an uptime exceeding 97 percent—a key step to ensure a more reliable charging network.
Despite these significant advancements, it’s clear that Pennsylvania still has a considerable opportunity to attract billions of dollars in federal funds across a spectrum of federal grant programs through the BIL, formally known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). PennDOT has stepped up its efforts to educate communities and organizations about these opportunities, creating an information-packed webpage detailing federal grant opportunities.
PennDOT’s proactive approach is paving the way, quite literally, for a more sustainable future. Through the EVC-RAA program and other initiatives, they are not only ensuring Pennsylvania’s infrastructure remains robust and efficient but are also inspiring other states to follow suit.
This is more than just about fixing chargers; it’s about securing a greener, cleaner future where electric vehicles are the norm rather than the exception. For PennDOT, and indeed for Pennsylvania, the road ahead is electrified and bright.
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