Erie County Times

Pennsylvania is one of the first states in the country to be approved for the first round of funding for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, with the state receiving $25.4 million to enhance its electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure.

According to Gov. Tom Wolf's (D-PA) website, the federal funds are part of nearly $171 million awarded to the state over the next five years. This is part of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program that has been administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT).

“PennDOT and our partners have been hard at work preparing for a future filled with electric vehicles,” PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian said, according to Wolf's website. “These new funds available to us through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law give Pennsylvania the opportunity to reinvent transportation in a way that is smarter, cleaner, safer, more equitable and more efficient than ever before, and we are ready to put them to good use.”

The program involves the deployment of EV charging stations across the country, while creating a network for data collection and efficiency purposes. One of the main priorities is to build EV charging stations along the Interstate Highway System for long-distance driving. This is to meet a growing demand for EVs. In Pennsylvania the amount of registered EVs has more than tripled since 2019, going from 9,700 to 31,000.

“Increasing access to electric vehicles and EV chargers is one of the best ways to cut down on air pollution and fight climate change,” Acting DEP Secretary Ramez Ziadeh said, according to the governor's website. “These investments into improving EV charger infrastructure will mean cleaner air for Pennsylvanians, and will pay dividends for years and generations to come.”

The Wolf administration has also made investments in the Driving PA Forward and Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant programs, which provide grants and rebates.

“Addressing the global threat of climate change is a top priority throughout my administration, and it’s a priority that President Joe Biden and I share,” Wolf said, according to his website. “Investing in EV infrastructure is a critical way to reduce greenhouse gases and make EV chargers accessible for more Pennsylvanians. I’m grateful that the Biden administration has committed a significant portion of the landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for clean transportation, and that Pennsylvania will receive this initial investment to support our state’s efforts.”