Following a monthslong freeze of federal funding, the U.S. Department of Transportation is reopening applications for electric vehicle charging stations.
On Aug. 11, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy announced that the department would not only take applications for the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program but also streamline them. This after months of hotly contested legal challenges regarding the halting of the program.
NEVI was part of bipartisan legislation to build a reliable and affordable nationwide EV charging network. This program was geared to distribute funds to states seeking to promote the widespread adoption of EVs and reduce transportation-related pollution.
According to Duffy, the program was paused because of its inefficiency and "red tape" that prevented charging stations from being built.
"If Congress is requiring the federal government to support charging stations, let's cut the waste and do it right," Duffy said. "... Our revised NEVI guidance slashes red tape and makes it easier for states to efficiently build out this infrastructure. While I don't agree with subsidizing green energy, we will respect Congress' will and make sure this program uses federal resources efficiently."
A number of legal challenges quickly followed the Trump administration's freeze. Several states and environmental groups filed lawsuits arguing that it was unlawful and violated the separation of powers. The key claim was that the administration overstepped its authority by refusing to spend funds allocated by Congress.
As Canary Media noted, the Sierra Club was just one of seven nonprofit groups that joined the ongoing legal battle. Katherine García, director of its Clean Transportation for All campaign, argued that the administration tried to "stall" the momentum that EVs have gathered.
"While the Trump administration has moved away from anti-EV rhetoric in this guidance in response to federal litigation filed by over a dozen states, Sierra Club, and other nonprofit organizations, it is still illegally withholding billions Congress dedicated to EV charging," García said. "We will continue to work towards the recovery of nationwide NEVI funding."
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