The Trump administration has finally released new guidelines that states can use to allocate $5 billion for electric vehicle charging infrastructure after previously suspending the funding. Several states have filed lawsuits over funding freezes for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) project.
The project is one of many the Trump administration is trying to block funding from Congress in the early days of Donald Trump's second term. In June, a judge ruled the states' lawsuit was likely to succeed and issued an injunction barring the government from freezing spending.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), led by former MTV star Sean Duffy, criticized states for taking too long to spend the money. As of May, about 84% of the $5 billion authorized under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act had not been received, and only a few dozen charging stations had been built.
Duffy and the Department for Transport also claimed that the suspension of funding was only taking place while a "review process" was carried out to ensure that NEVI projects were consistent with the government's priorities. A new press release issued on Monday revealed the details.
Unsurprisingly, the new guidance focuses on streamlining the review process for charging stations. That means states will no longer have to consider consumer protections, emergency evacuation plans, environmental siting and other previously required steps before starting construction. The DOT also eliminated a requirement that a certain percentage of charging stations be built in rural, underserved or poor communities.
The Department of Transportation further removed from the guidance a provision requiring funding proposals to “demonstrate how implementation will promote strong workforce, safety training and installation standards.” Additionally, the Department of Transportation has removed a provision requiring applicants to provide participation opportunities for minority- and women-owned small businesses.
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