Officials revive crucial $50 million program following administrative U-turn: 'It's good news'

After months of frozen funds and administrative delays, Alaska was set to receive $50 million in federal funding toward new electric vehicle charging stations, the Anchorage Daily News reported.

"We've got a whole new life for electric vehicles," said Curtis Thayer, the executive director of the Alaska Energy Authority, according to the Daily News. "The program is back on."

The funds initially were allocated under the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which became law in November 2021. The law provided $1.2 trillion in spending on everything from roads, bridges, and pedestrian safety to EV charging stations and electric school buses. 

Under the program, states were responsible for developing their own plans for how EV charging station funding would be used. Those plans then needed to be submitted to the Department of Transportation for approval. 

In February, the Department of Transportation froze $3 billion in funding that Congress had allocated for the building of new EV charging stations, NPR reported at the time. 

In response, multiple states sued to unlock the previously promised money. In June, a federal court ordered that the administration release the funds. 

In the ruling, the judge found that the Department of Transportation and the administration had "overstepped their Constitutional and statutory authority and have attempted to override the express will of Congress."

On Aug. 11, the Department of Transportation released updated guidance under the EV charger program, saying in a statement that the new rules would "streamline applications, provide states with more flexibility, and slash red tape."

In Alaska, electric vehicle supporters applauded the administration's release of the EV charger funds. 

"It's good news," said Dmitri Shein, the head of the Alaska Electric Vehicle Association, according to the Anchorage Daily News.

Are you thinking about buying an electric vehicle? Yes — in the next 6 months 🙌 Yes — but not in the next 6 months 👍 Already own one 😎 Nope 🚫 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

However, the release of funding has not been the only obstacle that states have faced in implementing the EV charging station program. States, including Alaska, have accused the federal government's approval process of being far too slow. 

As of February, only 57 charging sites under the program had opened across the U.S., according to a May report by the Congressional Research Service.

According to Thayer of the Alaska Energy Authority, the Department of Transportation had been "dragging their feet" on approving state projects even before the February funding freeze, according to the Anchorage Daily News. 

"And they have a backlog of over 1,000 [EV charging station projects] that have not been approved," he said, the Daily News reported. 

In Alaska, the construction of some EV charging stations has been stalled for more than two years, according to Thayer. 

"We have charging stations identified," Thayer said, according to the Daily News. "We went out to bid. We know who won these bids, and we just couldn't get them approved." 

"And so that was one of the challenges, not just for Alaska but across the country, that it just wasn't moving fast," he continued.

With the funds now unlocked and new guidelines released, EV proponents expressed hope that the long-promised EV charging stations would soon become a reality. 

An Alaska resident who owns two EVs told the Daily News that he was "somewhat hopeful" that the projects would finally move forward. 

Building out the nation's EV charging infrastructure is an essential part of transitioning the U.S. from gas-powered vehicles to cleaner EVs. As EV charging stations become more widely available, EVs will become a more feasible option for more Americans. 

Even when charged off an average electrical grid, EVs are responsible for significantly less planet-heating pollution per mile than their gas-powered counterparts, according to MIT.

Plus, EVs can save drivers thousands of dollars per year on gas, the Department of Energy has found.

Additionally, unlike internal-combustion engines, EVs do not release health-harming fumes containing carbon monoxide and particulate matter, which pose significant risks to human health, especially among vulnerable populations, including children.

Installing a home solar system is a great way to maximize the environmental, public health, and cost-saving benefits of driving an EV.

Charging an EV off of home solar is cheaper than doing so off of the grid or at a public charging station, plus you have the peace of mind of knowing that your vehicle is being powered by cleaner, renewable energy from the sun. 

EnergySage makes it simple and easy to compare quotes from local solar installers, while also making sure that customers take maximum advantage of tax credits and other financial incentives, saving them up to $10,000.

With federal tax credits for EVs expiring Sept. 30, 2025, and solar tax credits ending Dec. 31, you must act quickly to take advantage.    

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.